Dark Angel 2022: Manticore Aftermath HDCC Part2
by Hearns
Summary: Several weeks have passed since the end of the Terminal City Siege and Max and the Gang now must deal with the changes in their world as they struggle to find a place in it. New and Old villains are gathering and Max must find a way out Chapter 10 up
1. Chapter 1: The former enemy's layer

DARK ANGEL 2022:  Manticore Aftermath:  (HDCC 2)

By Shannon Hearn

The characters of Dark Angel are owned by Twentieth Century Fox Television and Cameron Eglee productions.  All other characters are of my creation.

***

Parental advisory:  This chapter is rated "R" due to it containing mild sexual content and nudity.  

Chapter 1:  The former enemy's layer, Psychic Journey, and CJ Returns

***

            The days after the event the press had come to call "The Battle of the Freaks" the residents of Terminal City had started had started to clean up the mess the Familiars had caused.  Though the Sector Police and National Guard Troops surrounding Terminal City had started to assist in the efforts to clean up the mess.  Many of them who the members of S1W and the Transgenics who had saved during the battle had started to start talking to members on both sides and a few friendships had taken hold.  Though one of the National Guard guys who happened to be a lawyer had decided to take up Joshua and Mole's little driving accident case Pro Bono.  Though after the case he had been able to put together with the video footage of the accident the judge had said that both the Human driver and Mole had to participate in a twelve Defensive driving course.  Given that Mole was a little pissed at the concept of being hold up in an auditorium full of Ordinaries turned his guts.  Though when he did have to take the course he would have to be stripped searched for any weapons.  Though he did say that he would allow a strip search under the terms that he and the guy that he ran into had to be strip-searched at the same time.  This visualization made Gigi a Polar Artic Albino X who had a serious crush on Mole decided to give as a parting gift to him the night before a little Strip dance to him and a highly provocative photo of her wearing nothing but a smile.  Igloo the Albino X who Mole was in constant competition with freaked after she walked through Terminal City in a red Bikini.  

            It was those little things that give the outside world the feeling that the Transgenics were like anyone else and some of them were nice, some were arrogant assholes, and some were nymphomaniacs after Sketchy's little run in with the Transgenic girls slumber party got out. Though Cindy did chase Sketchy in front of a news crew screaming the words.  "Sketchy you are going to DIE!!!!  Those Female Transgenics were not part of your personal Harem to have wild ORGIED Sex with.  They are my friends.  Come back here so I can personally rip your kahones off with my bare hands."  Many a male through Seattle had crossed their legs and covered their crotches in fear after that threat used Cindy as she decked her way through several Nomalies, X-Series, and the local News Crew to get to Sketchy before Max got in the line of fire to hold her down as Logan shot her in the ass with a Trank dart.  Well the term of Hell have fury like a woman Scorned, was redefined to the term of Cross Original Cindy and you die became the new catch phrase throughout Seattle.  But it was events occurring on the other side of town that was getting the real attention. 

***

            His superiors were grilling NSA agent Otto Ramirez after what had happened with the entire Ames White fiasco at the steam plant.  The medical analysis of White's physiology showed a bone growth that had encased the pain center of his brain.  But after study of the captured Familiars it was shown that White was not the only one with this abnormal growth in his head.  But Otto was worried that he would loose his job over this that was until some people started to show up at the front door and Otto knew it was going to be bad news.  

***

            Cerberus and Reika had spent hours talking with the NSA computer system trying to figure out what was going on with the Transgenic Task Force.  All information that they had on White's activities was that Agent Otto Ramirez knew just enough to put his ass in the hot seat.  So if anyone had any chance of learning what White was up to with the Conclave other than what Eyes Only and the Act-I had found out about, then Otto Ramirez was the key to cracking into more information no matter how small.  Though they would get a break via a more subtle and effective way of learning information.  Good old-fashioned gossip. 

            It took Hannah visiting the T-Bloods church to help Shadow and the rescue team to start to moving the scrounged gear they had brought from both the late Bruno Anselmo's nightclub and the T-Bloods base to Terminal City.  That was until Sharkey, one of the Aquatics revealed that he had stashed several of the guys who they had gotten the gear from and tied them up at the old nightclub.  

            Well it wasn't until Clemente and several officers were brought in to figure out how much the Transgenics knew at these other bases that Sharky had to take them into the back room and showed the cops the tied up foreign agents that the Transgenics had caught.  Clemente just busted a gut laughing after he saw those guy wrapped up in duct tape and all of them were labeled in broad permeate marker on the duct tape on their mouth gags.  South Africa, Korea, China, Northern Iraq, Southern Iraq, European Union, Australia, With all these government.  Hannah just broke down laughing form the image, but Clemente wanted to know how they had been able to nail so many foreign personnel in so little time in the space of three days. 

            "Well we had some help from some friends known as Cerberus and Reika who have friends in high and low places who can get info and stuff no one thought existed."  Was all Hannah would say to Clemente as the men were escorted from the structure.  But that was when Cerberus came towards her in his tactical android body caring his tablet computer as the foreign agents were being booked for spying on American soil,  

            "Hey Hannah," Cerberus said bring up the tablet computer in his hands in front of her.   "I heard that you had spent some time in White's former base of operations prior that the big capture several months ago.  So I would like to know about what information you have on this guy."  On the screen of the computer was an image of Otto Ramirez on one side of the screen followed by a ton of the guys classified operations record.    Hannah just reacted in the "Oh My God" shock of familiarity of seeing someone of importance.  

            "Yes I know about him, he was White's second in command.  He was very human in his behavior and had some idea of what I had been cooked up for."  Hannah said in her native Nomalie tongue.  Cerberus since he was a machine just accessed the section of his software that pertained to interpreting her words and symbols she spoke in.  

            "Okay Hannah, I think I will need your help in defending this guy's ass."  Cerberus said in her own language which creped her out.  

            "Why?"  Hannah said looking at the android.  

            "Because this might provide a lead of what White was up to with his Cult buddies and their plans." Cerberus said as he had to fluxgate between Nomalie and Traditional English to communicate across his thought across to Hannah.  "That and from what I have overheard is that he going to get the blame even after he had no knowledge of what White was up to.  He might have a snowballs chance in hell to help us locate where the other Transgenics White had caught and shipped off for study are at.  Because I have tried every resource and I can't find where they have been sent."  With those words being spoken to her nudged Hannah into assisting him.  

            "Okay, where do we have to be?"  Hannah said as she caved in to Cerberus.  

            "The Steam plant that was White's former base."  Cerberus said as he yelled out to the T-Blood named Hottie.  "Hey Hottie can I barrow your bike?  I need to get somewhere real quick with Hannah.  Do you mind?"  Cerberus said as he waited for her response.  

            "Yeah, you can.  But if you scratch it I'll trash your cybernetic ass."  She said as she tossed him the keys to her ride and he caught them in flight without even turning his head which really creped out Clemente as he got on the Motorcycle and rode off to save Otto Ramirez's ass as he contacted Max and several other Transgenics via him interfacing into the local cellular phone network.  

            Within an hour Otto had his job and his ass saved as Hannah gave her speech towards the Otto's superiors.  But in exchange for getting access to what the Transgenics knew of White's activities there had to be information give about where the Transgenics that were captured and or killed by the retrieval teams that White and the other members of the government commanded.  The deal was steep but given what happened, it was considered a good price for damage control to learn what was going on with each side.  

***

            Melfina had just gotten the weirdest phone call in her life. Mel had been sitting on the couch at Jam Pony as she and Aspen were sorting through the paperwork they had to file for Normal between filling out the forms for the orders she had to get done before she did her next set of runs.  

            "Urge!!!"  Melfina yelled as she ran her fingers through her hair making it an extra messy foofy mess.  The small amount of hair that covered her barcode was revealed as she flung he head down on the coffee table where he clipboard and multifunction cell phone lay.  "Normal."  Melfina said as he muffled voice came through her arms.  "You have to make these forms a lot more user friendly to fill out because of the item description and size is murder."  

            "Well just be glad you don't have to fill out the forms that Quick Messenger has.  Those are two page monsters that out have to fill out."  Sky said as he moved over to pat Melfina on the shoulder.   Cheyenne who was the new girl who was with Sky started to pat her on the head but she freaked when she saw the tattoo.  

            "Your one of them..." Cheyenne said as the very athletic mulatto girl started to move backwards away from Mel in fear.  Mel just looked up and looked at Cheyenne and sighed.  

            "Yes I am."  Mel said leaning back on the couch and gave a look of defeat.  "I can't help the way I was born, nor can you but I'm just trying to do what the Oh' Niners tried to do "Get a Life."  Will you just let me be for second so that I can finish this dang paperwork and finish my day in some peace?"  Melfina said as her phone started ringing.  "For crying out loud."  Melfina said as she adjusted the phone's hands free earpiece and just waved her hand to where the phone was at and it picked up.  "Hello Melfina here."  Then she heard Cerberus's voice.  

            "Hey Melfina, its Cerberus.  Listen I need your help here I've gotten access to White's old dominate and the government needs our help in cracking the system " Cerberus said over the phone as Mel started to chew through the last few pages of the paperwork.  

            "So why do you need me Cerberus, I know that a guy like you can crack those codes for the government guys in no time."  Mel said as Herbal came in and cranked up the volume on the plasma screen Television.  

            "Well Mel, cracking the codes isn't the problem.  It is what is in the files that I need your help with or shall I say your way of looking at things."  Cerberus said as Mel started to look at the blaring Television and used her powers to jack into electronics to turn the volume down.  Everyone in the room just looked at her as she just waved her free hand to sweep the volume bar down.  Mel didn't care if everyone in the room knew about her powers; she just wanted to hear what Cerberus was talking about.  

            "So does this pertain to the two internal affairs guys at the door behind me?"  Melfina said as she looked up at the ceiling as she heard the comm radios on the two duty cops come in the door.  

            "Yes, Melfina, Oh, if um, Derrian and Sketchy are with them.  I suggest that you go with the cops, if not I would suggest that you get out of the way." Cerberus said as Mel started to sense the cold chill that would precede Derrian's appearance when he was in stealth mode.  

            "Cerberus let me guess the reason you sent Derrian along is that he would annoy me and that he could case the room."  Melfina said as she reached over to where the coldness was the strongest and grabbed with all her might as she sensed where the guy's head was.  With a sudden twist and pull Derrian dropped his camouflage cloak as he yelped n pain as she gave Derrian the most painful titty twister to his chest.  

            "Ouch that hurt Melfina."  Derrian said as he rubbed his chest to get out the black and blue from his body.  

            "Derrian you know I hate when you do that stealth cloak thing."  Melfina said as she pounded on his chest in rough disgust as she laughed lightly.  Everyone in the room was looking at the two as Sketchy came into the room along with another woman about Mel's age.  

            "Hey you two I want to meet this Cerberus guy."  Sketchy said as he moved over to where Melfina was sitting.  

            "Yeah Derrian stop jerking off we are here to pick up this Melfi-na..." the girl just stopped talking as she saw Melfina's face.  "209..." then she ran over and just hugged the stuffing out of Mel.  

            "Hey there 526 what has been happening..." Melfina said as she looked into the eyes of her long lost friend.  

            "I've been okay 209 been traveling around with a few of our series and a couple of X7s and a single PsyOp that really got on my nerves."  526 said as she pulled away from Mel as the two girls started to examine each other.  

            "So what name go you go by now 526?"  Mel said laughing at her looking at the short cut dyed red hair.   "You look great."  

            "I go by the name Lauren Harriet now 209, Wow your one of he Jammers that has been hanging out with 452. And what name do you go by now?"

            "I go by the name Melfina Nichel now Lauren."  Melfina said as she looked at Lauren.  "Wow I can see that you lost the cheesy curly golden locks and going to a straight style."  With that Lauren slightly tugged at her hair.  

            "Yeah, I just got sick of the entire Goldie Locks reference so I just chopped them off and got some hair strengthener to get the curls out."  Then Lauren looked at Mel's hair, "So I see that you added some volume to our hair to cover that barcode of yours.  Hey your hair was always a little foofy even when your head was shaved."  Lauren said as Mel started to blush in front of everyone.  Then everybody started to look at Sketchy to act as a translator for what Mel and Lauren were saying.  

            "Sketchy, please translate for us.  You have been in Terminal City for several days and know more about what they have been up to and what they are."  Sky said slowly moving over to his friend.  

            "Well lets just say that Max and the rest of the X-Series that worked here mostly consisted of Army Infantry units, well Aspen and Mel and several others who were outside of Terminal City during the time of the Siege happened to be from different series groups developed for the various military and intelligence branches."  

            The answer from Sky and the rest of everyone into he room was "Oh." as Mel and Lauren carried on their little conversation as the Police officer started to move in while the girls were starting to talk about Sketchy getting fresh with several of Lauren's roommates in the space of a few hours and in the same room.  Which got the entire room's attention about some of the more colorful details including Sketchy and the girls having so private time together with the words Yoga and page 45 being mentioned during the conversation.  Cheyenne just looked at Lauren as she said "Your leg in that place and your arm on his chest and your ear touching the you know place as he touched your what with his what????"  The image that was communicated across did not need to be imagined as everyone wondered how she knew that.  All Cheyenne would say was that she had practiced Yoga since the age of five and was very limber from it.  That was when the cops decided to step in and get Melfina out of the Bike Messenger firm and towards the base ASAP.  

            "Okay that was a little more that what I wanted to know about the Transgenic libido.  Clemente wants to talk with you about who you know about Ames base of operations."  One of the cops said as Mel and the others headed out of the door.  Normal just looked things unfold with strangeness that he thought he would never see again outside of Terminal City.  Now all he had to do now was to see what would happen politically before he gave Max and Alec their jobs back.  Hell Cindy and Sketchy were getting their jobs back period because he needed someone who knew Transgenic Psychology and hormones.  Boy did Normal need a drink of water after all of this though he would start eating more Black Liquorish from now on.  Hello heterosexual single females. 

***

            Inside of Seattle Steam plant #5 Otto Ramirez was worried about meeting this delegation from the Transgenic community.  It was strange seeing several of their kind at the gates outside, But having the news crews outside was sort of a strange thing times two.  Though seeing the Gill Girl that they had captured several months ago and who was liberated by 452 being part of the delegation kinda worried him but as she walked through the door with Cerberus, an individual who he only heard second and third hand rumors about kinda worried him big time.  Though when the six toot four white male came into the plants main entrance he saw the way that the way the Transgenic clung close to him like she knew something more about this guy than he did.  

            "Hello I am Agent Otto Ramirez."  Otto said as the Gill Girl reached out her hand very timidly to him.  

            "Hannah."  She said as she felt the grip of his hand in her's.  

            "You can speak English???" was all Otto could get out when she spoke.  

            "Um, yes.  It's my second language but I'm expanding my Naaalla."  Hannah said as she screeched out the last word.  

            "What???"  Otto said as Cerberus looked at her and he talked to her in the same type of sequence of screeches and squeals then Cerberus looked back over to Otto to say something in fluid English.  

            "Oh, Hannah said to tell you she is sorry and that the word "Naaalla" translated means "vocabulary"" Cerberus said as he and several others entered into the former NSA field operations facility but one of them freaked as the guy decked behind several of his colleges the moment he got a look right at him.  It took a moment for the guy's face to process in his head.  It was the reporter from the New World Times who was pursuing the Transgenic community.  But seeing the guy here and now was all he needed.  Before he could call out to the personnel to remove the reporter from the premises, Cerberus raised his hand to him and walked over to the kid and talked with him.  Which left Otto perplexed as he tried to figure out why a guy wit the reputation this guy did wanted to do with a tabloid reporter before Cerberus walked back over to him.  

            "So why did you want to talk with that guy?"  Otto said to Cerberus as they walked with several of the Transgenics into the main command office where several agents were shocked at the entrance of several X-Series and Nomalie classes coming into the room.  

            "Well I have taken a page from Eyes Only's book and I have noticed I do get more information about what is actually going on than I get through official channels and he is one of those channels."  Cerberus said as his blue trench coat flapped behind him as he walked.   "He did walk right into two situations you guys were investigating."  All Otto would say was "Okay..." as they move into the command center.  "May I introduce the members of my team" Cerberus said introducing his team of Humans and Transgenics which consisted of Asha Barlow, Alec McGovern, Logan Cale, Melfina Nichel, Aspen Kilowa, Brock Centurion-478, Shane Shadows, Amiee Reika, Lauren Harriet aka X6-526, Hannah Gillgirl, Joshua Sandeman, Harry McDolgal, Max Guevara, Sam Affleck, Lieutenant Joe Clemente of the Seattle PD, Derrian, and Calvin "Sketchy" Theodore.  

***

            Inside of the Steam plant Melfina was looking over at Cerberus introduce them to the Feds and between the looks on both sides but given the way that Sam was looking at Otto well you didn't have to be a PsyOp to know what was going through her head.  

            "...And this is Melfina Nichel, she will be working with you to look over the records you have from Manticore."  Cerberus said as Mel started to look at the line of agents starting to glance down at the thermal scanner before them.  Mel decided to freak those guys out when she thought to restore the settings to it with her powers.  So with a snap of her fingers the setting were restored to the scanners in the building and the two jerks doing a check on them and it the "Holy sheesh gee jus" being said as bottles of soda and bags of chips were exploding and being spilt all over the place.  Cerberus just looked at her with a distasteful look on his face.  

            "Melfina..." Cerberus said moving over to the Transgenic that was now glowing on the scanner,  "You could have done that before we came in with your powers."  Mel just looked towards the ground as Cerberus moved over to her.  

            "Yeah I know, but I just wanted to see the look on those guys faces."  Melfina said giving the jerks a taste of what she felt like everyday since they got those damned scanners.  

            "So Manticore developed a combat series that can interface into electronics?"  Otto said moving over to Melfina.  

            "Yes..." was the entire reply from the delegation.  

            "So I'm kinda lucky that White was the only person of the organization that had his last name known to the public."

            "Yeah, just be lucky I didn't get your last name because parking tickets would have been the least of your worries."  Melfina said as she handed over her tweaked Cell phone to Cerberus.  

            "Mel... The main reasons you are here is to figure out what old Ames was up to and you have to deal with these guys and BE Nice..." Cerberus said as he moved over to Melfina and spoke directly to her face.  "Okay."  

            "Okay Cerberus, I understand."  Melfina said as she looked into his eyes then turned her gaze towards her friends.  

            "Melfina, Harry, Lauren."  Cerberus said as he looked at the three Transgenics before him.  "I want you to go through these files and find out where White shipped the Transgenics that he captured before Max did the Mass break out several weeks ago."  He said as he turned towards Logan, Asha, Clemente and Max.  "Logan you know what to look for in Ames old office, take Otto here with you due to him being around Ames since day one of this mess and start digging through whatever information you have in there, We need the big picture people. I'll be sorting through the communications station to see what I can dig up on the most recent communications activities with Shadow and Reika."  Then Cerberus turned towards Aspen the rest of the remaining members of the team.  I want you guys to go through the cells and the holding areas.  I want to get a bean on what was down there, Human, Transgenic and Otherwise."  Cerberus said, as the Federal guys knew who was running the show.  

            Within a space of several minutes Mel was sitting in front of one of the computers as several agents and IT guys were looking at her as she cracked through umpteen levels of NSA and Echelon grade firewalls in less than sixty seconds.  That was when she hit the firewalls around the Manticore files the government had been able to recover from the weeks after the fire.  But what had caught her off guard was she found that she and the other BioCybers as well several "in Field" Transgenics had their files wrapped around some serious security and it took several minutes for her to crack through them even with Lauren and Harry's help.  It was all information pertaining to the Act-I and Cerberus and Mel was not the only one that knew about them and there was more than one Act-I that was cooked up by the Government and Civilian agencies and only a fraction survived the events of the Pulse.  But what Mel and the other BioCybers found next turned them white as a sheet as they started to read through the reports of the Transgenics who had died as they attempted to escape from custody.  But there was nothing on what had happened on the Transgenics that were shipped off to research facilities.  Nothing...  It was as if those files did not exist on this system or any system connected to it.  That meant only one of two things.  The Familiars had those Transgenics in their custody or this unit was not able to locate as many as they had though they did.  Mel hoped that the others were having better luck than she did as she started to dig through the medical files that this group had recovered starting with X5-599's cybernetic modifications that were done at the other Manticore facilities.    

***

            Aspen was walking through the cells as she started to get several mental impressions of the Transgenics that had been captured and killed by White.  Some of the images were pretty graphic as they attempted escape and evade tactics from the cells.  One of the Nighteyes had been shot after he had put Otto into a chokehold so that he could use the guy as a human shield.  Another Transgenic a Grunt class who looked like he had some mental decencies due to oxygen being cut off from him when he was born, but what caught her attention was that it was the same transgenic that was shot by the Sector Police.  Though she wasn't expecting to see White cutting one of those strange snakes and dipping a knife into it and cutting the Transgenic with it.  She could see the sickness take hold, as the Transgenic got weak then recovered from the poisons in his blood.  The entire incident with the sector police was to deliver the body to White's Cult buddies so that they could get the test results without the government's knowledge.  But it was when she touched the blood in the cell she got images of where the snakes blood had came from, the images of the Cult Priestess and of the rituals she performed kept showing up in her mind.  Symbols of death and destruction appeared in her mind as the images of the priestess stabbing many kids with a ritualistic knife and some dying while others living.  There was a sense that there was a faction that wanted to end this tradition and move forward to a new age because they knew it these traditions continued they would all die.  Sandeman was one of them as she got a strong feeling for Charles Sandeman Junior and the birth of this movement as Sandeman started to speak with several individuals who from what she had been able to gather had left the Conclave and gone underground.  That was when she flashed back to reality as she reached for her cell phone.  

            "Max, It's Aspen, I got a impression from one of the cells and I think White used one of the bodies to transport a biological agent out of here."  

            "Biological agent."  Max said inside of White's old office as Logan's Exo whirred in the background.  "What type of type of Biological agent Aspen?"  

            "I don't know but I believe that what ever it was it was, it was whatever you were stabbed with by White's cult buddies with when you went to Wendy Olson's kid away from them."    

            "You mean the Snake Blood virus."  Max said as the phone was passed over to Otto as he started to speak on the phone.  

            "This is Agent Ramirez, Aspen Stay there I'll be there in a second."  Otto said he handed the phone back to Max.  

            "I believe that I got Agent Ramirez's attention when I said Ames smuggled a Bio Weapon out of here, Max.  So I get the feeling that I'll be the first PsyOp He is going to meet."  Then Aspen decided to give Max the next part of the information she had gotten an impression off of from one of the Cells.  "Max I believe that Sandeman wasn't the only Familiar that was going to break from the Conclave.  Because of some of the symbols I got off the Cell that White was in showed some pretty nasty stuff coming down our way.  I'm going to see what Joshua has gotten a reading off of to see where they Stashed CJ at in here, okay."  Aspen said as she started to move to another one of the agents standing in the doorway.  "Make sure that this room is secured and a Biohazard time gets here, I want to have that spot on the floor analyzed."  

            "Ma'am, I will inform Agent Ramirez about that."  One of the security personnel said as Aspen started using her senses to track her way down to one of the cells and entered it where she got a feeling of where Max had been when White had captured her.  But the images of CJ were clear in her mind as she entered the room then a rash of imagery hit Aspen but she wasn't alone when she used her powers.  Someone had piggybacked with her on her psychic powers.  

            The moment she touched the wall where CJ was held in shifted reality to where she and Agent Ramirez were transported towards an asylum where CJ was being held.  

            "Where are we?"  Agent Ramirez said looking around the room that they were at.  

            "We are where CJ is at and he is our lead to tracking down the people White was in cahoots with."  Aspen said as she walked around the room that CJ was in.  The room looked like it was in a dilapidated institution and there were bars on the window.  CJ looked like he was in a straight jacket and drugged.  

            "Why do I feel like I am in an episode of the Dead Zone?"  Agent Ramirez said in a very weak and feminine voice as he looked at Aspen with the look of someone that had officially stepped into something way over their head.  

            "What's your first name Agent Ramirez?"  Aspen said as she started to look out the window to see if there were any landmarks she could make out place the building's location.  

            "Um, Otto Ramirez, so all I remember is that I came into the cell and touched your shoulder to tell you not to leave that cell where you found that biological weapon and now I find myself here."  Otto said as Aspen looked at CJ tied up on the bed.  

            "Listen, you piggy backed on my astral projection Otto and I have to use all my powers to see if I can use them to break this guy out of here.  Now will you help me?" Aspen said as she climbed right into the guy's body and started to work the guy's muscles so she could loosen his bonds.  

            "Um, are you possessing that guy?"  Otto said as Aspen poked her head out of the guy's body.  

            "Um, Yes.  If you want some serious leads on Ames buddies, you help me so keep an eye out so you put your head through the damn door and keep an eye out for anyone coming down the freaking hallway."  Aspen said as she used her powers to control the eldest Sandeman child so that she could free him. Within a matter of minutes she had contorted CJ's limbs so that he was free of the straight jacket.  Aspen quickly removed herself from CJ's body and moved over to where Otto was standing as he walked through the door.  

            "I said to stick your head through the door, not walk through it" Aspen said as CJ fell right onto the floor face first.  

            "So said keep a look out so I looked out."  Otto said as he looked at CJ's Semi-disheveled body as the guy started to get up and remove the gag from his mouth.  

            "Where am I?  Who are you?"  CJ said as he got a good look at Aspen and Otto standing before him.  

            "I don't know but I believed that it is some Asylum somewhere around Seattle.  But I think that it is named Clivesdale."  Aspen said looking at the spray painted name of the institution on the side of the old straight jacket.  But she looked at the other items in the room.  "Well that is where the straight jacket is from, everything else in here looks like it has come from other institutions from Kubric Medical, to the Washington State Pen."  CJ looked like the drugs in his system were still there as he moved around.  "I'm Aspen and this is Otto."  Aspen said to CJ as he started to come to some of his senses.  "Listen I am projecting myself and Otto here into your head so that we can help you escape.  We will be your eyes and ears but you will have to do all the leg work okay."  Aspen paused as CJ chewed through what she was saying to him.

            "Why should I trust you, you are not real."  CJ said as he curled up on the bed in his cell.  

            "Because of this."   Aspen said as she moved away from CJ and pulled back her hair to reveal her Barcode Tattoo, which calmed CJ down as he reached for her and his hand went through her neck.   "You are a follower of her's right?"  CJ asked as Aspen nodded up and down to confirm his suspicions as he slowly started to cry tears of joy.  Someone had come to rescue him with that Aspen said for him to calm down and tell her everything he knew about the orderly's schedule so that they could break him out of here with that she started to work on a plan to get CJ out. 

            Within several minutes the tree of then waited for an orderly to come down the hall and with Aspen's help they lured the guy in and subdued him in a not so humane way after they broke the guys neck.  Then with Otto's help they were moved CJ to the outside of the facility and got him through the many doorways and corridors and to the outside, even dogging a few surveillance cameras long the way.  When they got CJ on the outside they were able to get him to a hole in the fence and guided him into the forest so that he could find his way back to Seattle.  That was when CJ far enough out of danger that Otto and Aspen returned back to the holding cell he was held in.  

            "Okay what was that?"  Otto said as Aspen moved away from one of the wall as Otto' hand fell away from her shoulder and brushed against one of her breasts.  

            "Oh, you piggy backed on my powers and what you experienced was me tracking down CJ."  Aspen said as he looked around the cell as he poked at one of the walls.  

            "So, you have mental powers so what we just did together was not a figment of my imagination."  Otto said looking at her as he slowly backed away from her.  

            "Otto, it was not a fragment of your imagination.  It was real and we just got CJ back now all we have to do is wait for him to get back to Terminal City."  Aspen said a she left the cell with Otto.  "Lets fill in the others about what we found out."  Otto just stood there as he looked around the cell for a moment or so before he left to go upstairs to the main command center.  What had he just gotten himself into?  

***

            Melfina was working in the command center as the terminal she was working on started to lockup.  After booting the machine up twice and nothing happening Melfina decided to take care of the problem the old fashioned way. She hit the machine on the side with a good swack and the system booted up just fine after wards.  Tech was tech and sometimes it needed to have something knocked back into place ever so slightly to make it work. But now she was able to access more of the confidential files from the system mainly those about the medical research that was going on at Manticore and the information that many of the surrogates that were part of the project were still being monitored.  What caught Mel off guard was that Rain's name had showed up on the list as she started to read the file it was attached to with enhanced speed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            It is my opinion that the Surrogates that have been used as part of Project Phoenix should be tracked to the effects of the Transgenic gene therapy that has been done to them starting to appear in their offspring.  Several children that have been born to these Surrogates show many of the enhanced genetic characteristics that have come out of Project Manticore.  It is advised that any biological agent released upon these individuals is to be considered ineffective as well if knowledge of this project to leak out the ramifications will be sever both economically and political for the government.  

Undersigned, 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The name was not mentioned but the information was clear the T-Bloods were Transgenics and despite what people had said about letting their kids mate with a Transgenic was out of the question.  The problem was the Transgenic community was larger than even Manticore was wiling to open up to and this was going to be major.  With that Melfina used her powers to transfer the files she had come across on this computer and dump it to the three gigabyte memory card in her Cell phone so that she could show it to Logan later.  That was when Aspen walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.  

            "Mel, I need you to do a scan on the following face as well as on these names I want to know where old supplies and equipment to these places where bought, borrowed or traded with."  Aspen said as she placed a sheet of paper down by her with the face of a middle aged woman in her mid forties as well as a list of names of various institutions which included a list of items by it.  

            "Hey Aspen this looks like a supply list for Terminal City.  What are you looking for some kinky medical stuff?"  Melfina said as she started to look through the stuff she was given.  

            "Listen I want you and Cerberus to search for that Image.  I got the feeling that if anyone enters it through a terminal will not find her, but given you and Cerberus's skills you might find her."  Aspen said as she went over to the coffee machine to get herself a cup of coffee.  "Oh that shopping list I want you to run the same way I got the feeling that the Conclave rigged the system so that she wouldn't be located by these means."  Mel just gave her the look of okay this is my intuition and I Used it to get this data and trust me it will be worth it.  Within an hour Cerberus and Melfina had gotten enough on this woman that monitoring her would lead to some information about the Familiar's social structure and their plans.  But to put all this information together, the agents here would have to be invited to Terminal City's command center so both sides would have all the full picture to be seen.  That was when Agent Ramirez was invited to Terminal City.  Seeing these guys in Bio-Hazard Suits would make the residents of TC on Edge but if anything would get these governments guys of their backs would be a blessing from the Blue Lady.

***

            A day or so had passed as things in TC were prepared for Agent Ramirez's arrival there but given the guy's mood after he had spend some time with Aspen it was like he had realized some things about the Transgenic community were not all that bad, but you had to understand the rules they lived by in order to deal with some of the difficulties and issues they had with ordinary humans.  Max just wanted to have some quite time by herself so she decided to go down to a cafe that was a few blocks down from TC.  The place was like the one she had seen in the vision she had on that funky Halloween night over whether or not to take Joshua Trick and Treating.  

            But sitting in one of the booths she decided to curl up and relax.  That was when Clemente came into the Cafe and saw her. 

            "Hey Max."  Clemente said as he moved over to the booth to sit down with her as she was looking at a letter from her sister Jace.  It took Clemente knocking on the table with his fist to get her attention.  "Hi Max."  With that Max turned her attention towards the police officer.  

            "Hey Clemente, sorry about not noticing you there."  Max said as she put the letter and photos down.  Clemente who was looking at her started to notice the picture of the Nubian girl and her baby in the photos.  

            "Someone you know?"  Clemente said as he sat down in the seat across from her as he started to examine the photo.  

            "Yeah, she's my sister."  Max said as she was looking over the letter and occasionally giggling to some of what was in the letter.  

            "Sister as in, Sister family or "Sister" being part of your people?"  Clemente said as he looked through the various photos that included the girl and her child, several images of some mesa and the occasional image of a "Nomalie" class transgenic in the photo next to the girl.  

            "Sister as in member of unit Sister."  Max said to Clemente as he sat down across from her.  "But we were in the same unit that is the closest thing we had to immediate family."  With that Clemente just nodded in approval.  

            "Family is where you can find it Max and I agree."  Clemente said as he reached over across the table and patted her hand.  Max reacted to Clemente's touch and just grinned back at him.  "So what is her name?"  Clemente said picking up the photo.  

            "Jace and her little girl is named Max in honor of me."  Max said as she started to look over the letter and giggled.  When Clemente started to take a look at the letter all he saw was a bunch of garblely goop as the random letters and numbers on the page made it difficult for him to understand what Max was blushing about.  

            "So you can understand this Max?"  Clemente said as he started to realize that he had a lot to learn about Max's people.

"Yes...  It is kinda of a custom code that me and the members of my unit cooked up when we were kids right after we took our advance coding and communications course when we were kids."  Max said as she looked into Clemente's eyes as she started to read him.  "So, before this mess started, you said that you were going to see your daughter's play.  What's her name?"  Max said as she started to search for something to break the ice between the two of them as they were allies now.  

            "Trisha..." Clemente said as Max started to look over as the waitress came over to the booth.  

            "Hi, what would you to like to order?"  The waitress said as Max and Clemente ordered what had become known throughout Seattle as Clak, a type of hot thick herbal paste drink that become popular in the years after the Pulse.  Moments later the Waitress returned with the drinks as Max and Clemente continued to talk about each other's families.  Max told Clemente all about the members of her unit that she had known since she was a kid as well as some of the children that her siblings had over the years.  Between learning that Max's sister Brin had given birth to fraternal twins named Ben and Eve, Her late sister Tinga and her family, her brother Zack and the brainwashing programming that she hoped Shadow and Melfina would be able to locate and fix so that she could get her brother back.  Clemente was getting the feeling that Max was worried about something then Max up and said it.  

            "Clemente, you came to ask me if any of my kind were involved in some serious criminal activities."  Max said as she sipped the hot thick creamy fluid.  

            "Not exactly, but It would be great to know if there are any other serial killers like 493 and 001 out there."  Clemente said as he remembered back to seeing the files on the Transgenics inside of White's office.  Some of the stuff he had seen in those files would definitely clear some names while on other cases it brought to light some serious things that he and the other Police officers would have to deal with in the years to come.  

            "Okay, listen before we go any further I have to tell you about something that not many people outside of the Eyes Only Informant Net know about.  There is a Transgenic Known as Marrow and given what he is, I should give you the 411 on him because if he continues what I have heard that he as been doing, then both the Transgenic and Human communities will be in some serious Dodo."  With that Max told Clemente about Marrow and his followers and the origins of the T-Bloods and about an hour later Clemente leaned back in his chair and exhaled for a long time as he digested the information he was given.  He soon knew that his life was going to be interesting as he pulled out a picture of his daughter and looked at it.  

            "I thought my kid would grow up in interesting times."  Clemente said as he looked across to Max.  "Well it looks like the both of our people will have our hands full in the years to come."  With that Max wondered about what would be her next move when it came to getting her job back at Jam Pony.  

***

TBC

***


	2. Chapter 2: Mirror images of life, New l...

DARK ANGEL 2022:  Manticore Aftermath:  (HDCC 2)

By Shannon Hearn

The characters of Dark Angel are owned by Twentieth Century Fox Television and Cameron Eglee productions.  All other characters are of my creation.

***

Parental advisory:  This chapter is rated "R" due to it containing mild sexual content and nudity.  

***

Chapter 2:  Mirror images of life, New lives, New Loves, and Hormones Galore

            Nanushka was hanging with her friends Alessandrea and Janette as they went on their Friday night bar hopping throughout the city of Seattle.  The three of them were Lesbians and given that Alessandrea and Janette were all over each other was making her night something that she did not want to be part of.  Between Alessandrea's olive Italian skin moving around in her long black cotton busty dress and Janette's equally busty white dress and elegant flowing blond hair made the two of them look like the yen and yang of each other's lives.  But after the two took a passionate kiss with tongues Nan had up and had it.  "Alice and Janette, will the two of you go and get a room."  Nanushka said as her Russian heritage started to come through with her cursing in her native tongue as they walked into a place named Crash.  With that they entered a bar that looked like some serious party was going on.  The people looked like a mixture of ethnic groups and social strata that had come to here for some party.  

            "Wow this place seems to be hopping seriously."  Alessandrea said as she pulled herself away from Janette's luscious mouth to look around the room to find a place to sit.  

            "Yeah, it must be some party going on."  Nanushka said as she looked through the room.  That was when she saw several people sitting in a back room playing pool talking heavily and having a good time.  But there was a girl that caught her eye.  A lush Nubian beauty that extruded strength and sexuality, two aspects she wished to have but she was too scared to achieve on her own.  That was when a huge man moved by her that could have doubled for Mount Everest as he moved into the back room and sat down next to her.  Nan was put off in that that lovely beauty was a hetro, but it was when the girl got up and started to walk towards her and sat down at the table she was at.  

            "Hey there Beautiful."  The Nubian said to her, as within moments they both knew they were both Lesbians.  

            "So, what's with the celebration here?"  Nanushka said looking the gorgeous Nubian.  

            "Well Boo and her friends are celebrating the fact that they are going to live their lives off the hook from being hunted by White and his crew."  The Nubian said to Nanushka as she looked around the room at the various people.  Every once awhile she would see a barcode on the back of their necks then there was a pause when Nanushka started to speak back to the Nubian by her.

            "So all these people are..." Nanushka said as she started to digest the information she was confronted with.  

            "Transgenic. No.  Only a few of them are but the ones here are mainly her close friends."  The Nubian said as Nanushka started to gulp loudly.  

            "So are you..." Nan was too afraid to finish the sentence.  

            "Transgenic.  No, I'm not, but I'm Boo's roommate and best friend so I have known about what she is and how her people move and behave for some time now."  The Nubian said as Nan started to relax.  "I'm one hundred percent Black Human Lesbian."  She said in pride. 

            "Wow, I'm one too..." Nanushka said to the Nubian across from her.  

            "You definitely don't look like a Black girl?" the Nubian said as Nan started to giggle aloud.  

            "No." Nan said as she tried her best to stifle her giggles.  "I'm a Lesbian like you."  

            "So what's your name girl?" the Nubian said to Nan with a wide grin.  

            "Nanushka."  Nan said as she waited a moment to continue.  "So what is yours?"  

            "Cynthia McEachin but every body knows me as Original Cindy." Cindy said in pride.  "So what brings Ya here?"  Cindy questioned.  

            "I'm here with some friends out bar hopping."  Nan said starting to warm up to the Nubian as a human looking female Caucasian Transgenic with black hair came up to them and Cindy seemed to recognize her.  

            "Hey have you seen a female Transgenic around here named Max."  The Transgenic said as Cindy gave the woman a look of "You have to be joking me."  

            "Look Asha, I don't know what kinky games you have been playing with Alec but Max is in the backroom with your boyfriend who is having his ass kicked at the pool table by Logan."  Cindy said to the woman, as she was flabbergasted at what was said to her.  "Oh another thing Asha you owe Joshua an apology for the Entire furry little things insult you gave him a while back."  Cindy concluded as "Asha" was getting more concerned about what she had heard.  

            "Okay, X5-452 Max is in the back room."  "Asha" said as she let the two be.  

            "What was that all about?"  Nanushka said to Cindy as they both wondered what that was all about.  

            "I don't know but Asha is doing old Golden Boy Alec and I think whatever has happened with her has to deal with the uncertainty they both feel to each other or something like that."  Cindy said as Nan just watched the woman move into the pool table backroom.  

            "So, What is it like having the famous 452 as a roommate?"  Nanushka said to Cindy as the two of them started to bond as friends and as lovers.  

            "It can be interesting but having some of people show up at the front door tends to make things interesting."  Cindy said as they started to get to know each other as people.  By the end of the night they would making love to each other as they learned how the other liked to be held and touched.  Cindy would find out that Nanushka was someone that had a high cuddly factor to her that made their lovemaking all that much more intimate and long lasting.  

***

            Asha Barlow was moving next to Aspen as she started to get the feeling that much of Alec's past was some pretty sensitive stuff for her to be trudging into.  But Aspen had given her some information about Rachel Berrisford and that Alec had been assigned to assassinate the girl's father on a deep cover mission but he had fallen in love with Rachel and wanted to run off with her.  But things were not meant to be in that when he was about to stage the death of her father, Alec's superiors had set off the explosion and Rachel had bore the grunt of the impact as they grabbed him and took him back to base.  For nearly a year Alec had beat himself up for not being able to save her and the PsyOps programming that they had attempted to dump into him went no where.  He had still loved Rachel and he was scared that if he fell in love with Asha he would have to deal with this pain once again.  Asha wanted to let him know that it was okay for him to grieve for what had happened and that she would not leave him.  She had suffered tragedies in her life as well in that she had lost her brother when he attempted to figure out something pertain to her and the fertility clinic that had cooked her up for her parents.  So taking a bathroom break she had moved into the lady's room to take a piss, for the moments she had to digest the information as she left the stall to wash her hands she was confronted by two women, one with Strawberry hair in a black business suit in her mid thirties and a Blond in a skanky black dress in her late teens probably in her early twenties.  

            "Jondy..." the Blond said to Asha as she started looking at her.  "It's me Kristin.  You know your annoying half pint that took your sweater and dripped fruit punch all over it."  Asha just looked at the girl with the "What planet are you from?" glance as she started to move to the sink and stared to wash her hands.  

            "Listen I know that you are a transgenic and that it is a sensitive subject for you."  The red head said to Asha as Asha started to get an idea of what was going on.  There was some transgenic running around out there and since Asha had almost the same physical features as the Transgenic people this woman and her friend thought that she was this Jondy person.  That was when the blond Kristin butted in with the whaa look on her face.  

            "Wait Jondy is a Transgenic and you didn't tell me who else knows?  Jesse?"  Kristin said waving her arms around.  

            "Yes, Jesse knows that Jondy is a Transgenic she came out and told him Kristin."  The red head said as Asha decided to start to smooch out of the way after she had dried her hands and started to head for the door.  That was when she encountered a large very attractive dark skinned man that had just came through the door and looked at Asha with the same familiar look on his face.  

            "Jondy...  Is that you?"  With that Asha had up and had it as Aspen rushed in to save her.  

            "Asha," Aspen said as she rushed into the middle of the crowd.  "It's good that I found you." Aspen said as her red hooded Lycra jacket ruffled as she moved.  

            "Aspen, its good that you are here."   Asha said as she moved next to her Transgenic friend.  "What the hell is going on here?"  Aspen just looked around as she got a sense of what was happening.  

            "Asha, I think I forgot to tell you something about your past."  Aspen said as she took Asha by the hand and walked her out of the women's room.  "It has to deal with your origins and you better brace yourself Asha."  Aspen paused for a moment before she continued.  "Max's sister Jondy was cloned off of you."  Asha was just flabbergasted.  

            "Wha..."  Asha just looked at Aspen as if the girl had her head on backwards.  

            "Yeah, um I might be able to explain things better Asha, we have to go visit Max and Logan real quick."  Aspen said as they started to move through the crowd to the backroom.  

            "Yeah why is that?"  Asha said wondering what was going on, she had someone with her face moving around and what mischief that individual was up to.  She was probably all over Alec.   Alec, her Alec; that was the last straw; Asha took whatever will she had and went faster and broke away from Aspen's grasp and marched like a person possessed.  

            "The Bitch dies now..." With that Asha marched right into the backroom as Kristin who was behind her kept saying "Jondy has a clone."  That was when Asha met Jondy for the first time and the look of seeing the mirror image of someone wearing your face right in front of you is definitely an intimidating image for someone to wrap their head around.  That was around the time that Jondy called Alec "Ben".  

            "Get your hands off of my boyfriend you..." Asha said with the tone of someone who was about to shoot daggers from her eyes.  The bug-eyed look on Jondy's face was priceless.  As Asha was about to deck the female Transgenic, Aspen brought her hand up to grab Asha's arm to prevent her from knocking Jondy to the floor.  The commotion that was going on made both Asha's and Jondy's friends look at each other with wonder about what was going on.  That was when Aspen decided to step in and intervene.  

            "Everybody could I have hour attention here."  Aspen said to the room.  A moment later the room was silent as Aspen told what happened.  "Max it looks like the surprise that I was planning to cheer you up with kinda blew up in my face."  Aspen said as she started to look at the floor.  "A few weeks back after you called Asha "Jondy" I started to use my powers to see if I could get a bean on her."  Aspen said as she pointed to the Dark haired Jondy who was standing next to Logan as he rested some of his weight on the pool cue in front of him.  "Well I contacted her and was planning to hold a party cheer Max up but with the Siege and the rest of the mess we have been dealing with in the past few weeks, I kinda misplaced when the event was going to take place."  Aspen said as Sam, Krit and Danni came into view and walked in to the party.  

            "Hey Guys what is going on? "  The younger 453 said to the group.  

            "Nothing much Danni, just dealing with an identity crisis here."  Logan said as he looked over as Jondy moved over to her boyfriend Jesse and Asha moved next to Alec.  

            "I get the feeling when they made you guys Jondy, they kinda ran you guys off a production line?"  Kristin said as the entire room started to nod in response to her question.  

            "So, My clone is dating Ben." Jondy said looking at Asha and Alec.  

            "You mean 493...  He died over a year ago.  I'm 494 his clone."  Alec said reaching over and wrapped his arms around Asha to comfort her.  

            "Alec..." Asha said as the two of them started to talk together.  "I Know what happened to Rachel and that it was ordered by your commander Johanssen."  Asha said as Jondy stared to wonder what happened to Alec during some Manticore mission that had occurred years earlier.  

            "Asha I know but I know that I might lose you."  Alec said as Asha leaned over and kissed him on the lips.  

            "Alec I know how much you miss her and the price you paid in your attempt to gain a life and to have it snatched away from you.  I know that I am not what you call a normal girl, but I will be here for you through the good times and the bad."  Asha said as Alec attempted to pull away from her but Asha held on closer to him.  "Alec I know how much you hurt from Rachel's loss and the guilt you feel over letting her die in the explosion but there was nothing you could do to stop it.   Johanssen pushed the button that took her life so if there is anyone to blame for what happened to her it is him."  Asha said as she laid her head on his chest.  Alec leaned over and kissed her on the forehead and started to scratch behind one of her ears in the traditional Transgenic sign of emotional affection.  

            "I know Asha and I am scared of what is going to happen next to us."  Alec said as Asha started cuddle next to him as Jondy got the idea that Ben's clone had a ton of emotional baggage to deal with his relationship with her "clone" as they were both afraid and relived to what would happen next.  That was when Max let the two be as she moved over to look at Jondy.  

            "So Jondy what have you been up to?"  Max said as she moved over to where Jondy was standing with her friends.  Jondy who was taken back from this had heard just bits and pieces about Max's life since the night of the escape back in '09.  

            "Well for the past few years I have been living in San Francisco."  Jondy said looking at Max as the two sisters started to realize that they had a lot of catching up to do.  Aspen knew she was going to catch some flack for her actions but looking at the faces of Jondy's friends and her boy friend who was moving up behind Jondy and took the female Transgenic into his arms.  

            "Jondy, I know that this is a family thing but I know that it is going to be a long journey for you but If you want me to sit with you and listen all about your childhood and her how the two of you."  Jondy's boyfriend said to her as she started to lean back by her.  

            "Jesse you can stay with me, but there are some tings you are going to hear about me and my sister Max here that will test our relationship with each other."  Jondy said as she felt Jesse's dark arms with her hands.  

            "Okay Jondy, I understand."  Jesse said as Jondy laid her head onto his chest.  Max took the scene in as she realized that it was going to be a long night for her and her long lost sister.  Shadow would have to come up with that cure for her and Logan real quick because she needed to have some sort of normal life because if she didn't she would go crazy.  But after hearing Jondy say that someone named Cindy was looking to tell Asha that she needed to apologize to someone named Joshua had all of Jondy's friends wondering who this Joshua was.  It wasn't until Joshua Large Monstrous frame came into the poolroom wearing his off road BMX helmet that Jondy got the feeling that Joshua was not "Little" at all.  

            "Hey there Little Fella."  Joshua said as he moved over to Max to give her a hug which Max happily returned back.  

            "Hey there Big Fella, so make any new friends?"  Max said looking up into Joshua's eyes.  Jondy wondered who this guy was that was so casually friendly with Max.  

            "Yes I have Max, some of your friends such as Sketchy are nice but I mostly have been sticking with the T-Bloods and the other X-series like Melfina."  Joshua said as he leaned over to whisper something into Max's ear that if you were a Transgenic you could hear what was being said.  "I've been asking Mel about Gem and what she thinks of me since after the Siege; she has been spending nights in my quarters due to her old one's not being suitable for her child thanks to the noise going on there."  Max just grinned as he pulled away to see her reaction.  

            "Joshua, I'm glad that you are helping Gem out with her baby." Max said as she looked out of the backroom to see Melfina talking with her T-Blood and X-series friends.  "But I would suggest that you read to Elfie some.  Gem would like that a lot."  Max said as Jondy started to move over to see what this Joshua looked like without his helmet on.  

            "Hey there Joshua."  Jondy said as she moved over to where Joshua was at.  "Listen I know that you are a friend of Max's and that Asha owes you an apology for some insult she said about you, but I was curious what do you look like under that Helmet."  She said as she reached up to touch the side of Joshua's helmet with her hand.  

            "Um, Joshua doesn't like to be seen in public without his helmet."  He said as he moved out of the doorway as if he was afraid of something.  It was as if he was going to be hurt by someone.  "Safety first."  He finished up.  

            "Joshua are you shy?"  Jondy asked as Max attempted to get between her and the walking mountain of a man.  

            "Jondy.  Joshua is a little sensitive about his appearance."  Max said as Joshua sat down at one of the raised tables in the room.  Jondy was taken aback by this revelation.  Then Joshua looked at Jondy as said:  

            "Jondy, I am a Nomalie."  Those words just took a moment to register in Jondy's head.  

            "Nomalie, you mean those big monstrous things that used to scare us when we were Kids."  Jondy said to Max as she looked over at Joshua.  

            "You mean like that creature that was on the cover of the New World Weekly."  Kristen said as the rest of Jondy's friends started to look over at Joshua.  "That thing sure looked pissed in that picture."

            "You be pissed too if you were hit in the stomach with a baseball bat."   Joshua said as he slowly removed his helmet off for the entire room to see his full Animal features.  

            "Oh, My..." Jondy said as Joshua's kind eyes looked over to Max then to Kristin then to her as the sadness in his eyes became apparent to everyone.  

            "People fear what they don't understand."  Joshua said as he reached over to stroke Jondy on the face.  "You see me still as a monster that scared you as a child.  I was scared that you would hurt Isaac."  Joshua said as he face and eyes told without saying much more that an image is worth a thousand words and that pain and joy are universal even for a monster who just wants to live his life in peace around his friends as he redone his helmet before everyone.   "I wear the Helmet so that I can see the world and understand it some more, Jondy.  You can move around without a mask, but we all wear masks in one way or another to shield ourselves from the monsters that seek to hurt us."  Joshua said as he looked over to Logan then he turned his gaze to Asha and Alec.  "Alec, you hurt from your pain, and Asha has pain of her own, maybe if you can see the pain the two of you are in, you can heal."  Asha and Alec looked at Joshua realizing that he knew more about them and how they really felt for each other than Aspen could flush out of them through a ton of her psychotherapy sessions.  

            "Thanks Joshua, " Asha said as she started to gain why Max was so protective of him he had an insight that helped cut through that protective skin she had and allowed her to say what needed to be said.  That was when she remembered what Jondy said several moments earlier to her.  " Joshua," Asha said. "Sorry about calling you a "Furry little friend" I was just angry at Max at the time for something that was beyond her control."  Asha said as she looked at Joshua with understanding.  

            "Joshua understands." he said.  "Max hated your guts as well.  You were bathing at Logan's place and using his towels.  Max doesn't like people marking their turf on the people and stuff she cares about.  It just the way our people are."  Joshua said as Kristin started to look at Jondy with an urge to suddenly confess what she did to Jondy's sweater and grovel literally for her life.  Kristin would apologize for her actions but for everyone in the room having Jondy and Max talk to one another and catch up was a good thing.  In Logan's mind he started to wonder about what Asha and the information that her late brother had dug up from a fertility clinic years earlier.  Manticore had to have gotten their human DNA from somewhere now he knew that one of the sources of it was from where Asha was cooked up at.  Now discovering more about what impact Manticore had on society was going to be his next mission as he had to contend with more issues coming into play with the Transgenic community slowly becoming accepted into Human society.  Things were going to get real interesting soon for Eyes Only and the Informant Net.  

***

            Asha had spent the night at Alec's place.  She was scared after seeing Max's sister Jondy.  Jondy had her face...  Her face.  The images of her life washed through her mind like crazy.   Who was she really...  Human, Clone, engineered Human raised by adopted parents.  What was she really?  

            Asha had moved from sleeping in Alec's bed after he had taken up the couch.  But after all the images running through her head she had moved with a few of the bed sheets to curl up next to Alec on his sofa.  Between her panties half sagging on her ass and her shirt being ruffled like hell she just waned to feel safe around someone warm and strong.  

            "Alec."  Asha said as she sat down on the couch.  Alec who was lying there wearing his boxers and green t-shirt.  "Mind that I sleep here with you?"  

            "Asha it okay, the entire learning about the clone thing is a little uneasy."  Alec said as Asha gave him a look of okay.  

            "Yeah, I'm just trying to deal with the fact that if there is a Jondy out there with my face then am I... Me."  Asha said as she started to lean down on Alec as he hugged her tight.  

            "Trust me the entire learning that you have a clone is nothing much, in my case I had to learn that my late Brother Ben was someone who Max looked up to. But a crisis of faith turned him into a homicidal killer.  I only learned about this after I got arrested for crimes I didn't commit."  Alec said as he held Asha tighter.  

            "Yeah, I cannot wrap my mind around what it would have been like to learn that you have a brother that you didn't know about."  Asha said as she started to feel like somehow it was strange for her.  

            "Well if you want a better picture of what is like is to talk with Sam and Danni.  They share Max's face and they have to deal with some of the flack of what it is like to look like someone else."  Alec said as Asha looked into his eyes.  

            "Yeah, I just have to deal with that."  Asha said as she suddenly started to feel like she was safe once again.  "Alec Listen I know that I know about Rachel and how she felt about you, but I am not her, I know who you are and all the baggage you have.  I love you for who you are and I want to make love to you."  Asha said as she reached down to the hem of her t-shirt and started to pull it up.  Alec just looked at her as he brought his hands up to stop her from fully taking her shirt off.  Asha had cleared one of her breasts before Alec stopped her.  

            "Asha I know that you want to do this, but I want this to be something special to each other."  With that Alec sat up and along with Asha and got up and took Asha in his arms and moved over to his bed where she was sleeping and laid her there.   "Asha, now the mood is ready."  With that Alec and Asha undressed each other and slowly to make love.  Asha felt Alec's will muscled feline structured body as Alec felt Asha's smooth tattooed flesh.  They spend hours touching each other's sensitive and emotional caring areas they had.  Asha now felt feeling that she thought she would never have again since she was a teenager having the wedding fantasies every girl has while growing up.  Finding the man she would grow old with.  With that thought Asha curled up closer under Alec's arm as her arm reached over his naked chest.  She was safe and she could feel the tickling sensation as Alec scratched her behind the ears going next to her chin.  Asha bit her lip in ecstasy as she started to fall asleep.  Both she and Alec were safe and knew that they would be in love.  Though the good times and the bad, they were going to grow old together, and probably have a few kids along the way as she felt the soothing warmth from her loins between her legs from where they had made love for the first time and for the hundredth time becoming lost in each others deep eyes.  

            She was an individual and her soul was her's and she was in love with all her heart.  Within hours she would make a decision that would affect both her and Alec's lives for years to come.  She was going to give Alec the closure that Alec needed to put Rachel's ghost to rest.  She was going to pay a visit to the Berrisford Estate.  

***

            In the morning Logan Cale was dealing with some major issues to deal with between learning about how Shadow had expanded the Eyes Only Informant Net and how he transformed it into a major organization.  The sheer mass of which Shadow was able to transformer the Informant Net into was stunning enough even by his standards.  But dealing with the fact that Shadow had called in every favor in for him to get back onto the air.  Logan was left dealing with the issues that Shadow had left him.  But it was the fact that this alliance was so strong due to his leadership and his use of what Logan had been able to form over years of work showed that Eyes Only wasn't just a man anymore but he had become a legend in his own right.  All of a sudden Logan got a call on his cell phone.  

            "Logan here," he said as he heard the informant talk to him.  Over the next few minutes he had heard that there was some low-end search stuff that he had been running before the Siege started.  Mostly it had to deal with locating Transgenics and keeping tabs on the criminal elements in the city.  But something caught his attention.  It was a rumor that was going around the Informant Net that Eyes Only was in love with a member of the Transgenic Community.  It had caught Logan off guard with the sheer feeling of what was going on.  How much did Shadow tell the group about his relationship with Max, or how much did he hint at it to get everyone on his side so that the broadcast that brought down White and his crew down.  It could be an advantage or a disadvantage when it came down it winning supporters or loosing them en masse. That was when Shadow entered the room and Logan was not in a good mood. 

            "Shadow how much did you tell the Informant Net, S1W and your fellow Transgenics, because I just got off the phone with a contact of mine who was giving me some information about the local criminal scene and I just heard a rumor that Eyes Only is humping a Transgenic, Logan said as he got up out of his chair and slammed the Transgenic against the wall."  

            "Listen Logan, I understand that you are wondering what I did to get the Informant Net and S1W to side with me and the other Transgenics."  Shadow said as he felt Logan's enhanced upper body strength hold him against the wall of Joshua's house.  "I just did what you would have done.  I appealed to everyone's humanity.  Okay.  Hell there were rumors going about Eyes Only and the Transgenic community way before the Siege started Logan."  Shadow said as he put his hands up to Logan's clenched fists on his chest.  "Logan...  Many of the informant net think the main reason that he went after Manticore was that he had fallen in love with a Transgenic at the get go way before the fire.  Hell there were rumors about Max and the other Transgenic operatives running around, okay Logan."  Shadow said as Logan just started to put him down.  "All I did was mention the fact that this wasn't just a personal thing for EO to get back on the air.  It was his way of letting the world know that the Truth was not going to be taken off the air by sheer force by guys like White. Logan you just became a living Legend man.  You know what that means.  It means even if they try to kill you, you have already earned your place in history."  With those words Logan came to realize that his alter ego was no longer a person.  Eyes Only had become a movement that was poised to change the world.  "Logan It doesn't matter what species you belong too.  You have become a symbol to thousands and the Informant Net is a force that even me and the other Transgenics respect."  With that Logan moved away from Shadow as he moved into a nearby chair.  

            "I understand now Shadow."  Logan said as he shifted slowly the chair as he felt his lower back.  "Sorry I blew up at you.  It was that I was shocked that the idea that the Informant Net has become this organized."  Logan said as he shifted some more.  Shadow took notice of this and moved over to look at Logan.  

            "Logan is your back acting up?"  Shadow said as he leaned over Logan and Logan moved forward to let Shadow to work on his back.  

            "Yes it has been over the last few days."  Logan said as he winced in pain as Shadow poked around Logan's old bullet injury.  

            "Um."  Shadow said as he looked at the scare area around Logan's lower back.  "Logan, I think that dose of Transgenic DNA you got from Joshua a few weeks backs has started to change your biology some."  Shadow said as he moved his gaze to Logan's face.  

            "What do you mean Shadow?"  Logan worriedly said.   

            "What I mean Logan is that you are healing like a Transgenic."  Shadow said as he moved in front of Logan.  

            "I don't understand."  Logan said as h leaned back in the chair.  

            "Logan, Remember a month ago or so, I got my hands on a way to cure the virus that has been keeping you and Max apart.  Well I finished some of the research and realized that to cure you I have to change the locks it has been used to attack you."  Shadow said as Logan wondered what this meant to him.  

            "Logan Joshua's Antibodies in his blood have started to attach themselves to you bone marrow and you have gained some of our healing powers as can be seen with your spinal repair with your ability to feel things with your legs."  Shadow decided to drop him the news.  "Logan the cure for both your injury and your immunity problem with the virus can be both treated through a little technique of low end Chemo to kill off your bone marrow and you received a bone marrow transplant from a Transgenic so that you can start producing the Antibodies to the Virus in Max's system.  Logan I can cure you, what you are going through right now by accident when you came into contact with Max again and that newly mutated virus she has in her system is that your body is changing to adapt itself to a new environment and it slowly killing you as your body is starting to become confused to wither to become Human or go Transgenic.  You're becoming a Hybrid Logan and I cannot change you back to the way you were.  I can only speed up the transformation so that you can live."  

            "So what you are saying is that I am changing and that if I don't undergo this procedure, I'll die?"  Logan said to Shadow as he digested what was going through his head.  

            "Yes Logan," Shadow said, as he looked Logan in the eyes.  

            "How long do I have to live" Logan said wanting the facts of what was ahead.  

            "It looks like you have about less than a year to live before your body starts to tear itself apart at a cellular level, First your spinal injury will return, then followed by a break down of your immune system, Then massive organ failure.  The picture isn't pretty Logan."  Shadow said laying the facts towards his friend.  

            "Have you told Max yet?"  Logan said as he turned his head to look out the window. 

            "No not yet.  I was going to tell her later this evening when she came back to base Logan."  Shadow said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet to look at a picture he had of his wife Jade and his Newborn Daughter Jewel.  That was when Logan decided to speak up.  

            "Tell her you found a cure for the virus but leave the fact that if I don't take the treatment I'll die in less than a Year, Okay."  Logan said as he moved his glance over to a picture he had of Max from their first year together. 

            "I understand, but you will have to tell her at some point, Logan."  Shadow said getting up and moving over by his friend.  

            "I know Shadow, I know.  So how long will it be until you can start the process?"  Logan said as he picked up the photo in his hands and slowly started to caress the edge of Max's face with the tip of his finger.  

            "I say about a week or two to get the material together and run the number Logan."  Shadow said as he started to trace the side of Jade and Jewel's faces with his finger as well.  With that Logan changed the topic as he turned towards his computer workstation.  

            "So Shadow why don't you tell me how the Informant Net is now set up."  Logan said as he took the picture of Max out of its frame and placed it on the scanner and scanned it into the computer and made it the Desktop's main image for him to see.  Shadow just grinned as Logan did that and he started to give the overall command structure of the New Eyes Only Informant Net.  

***

            On another side of Seattle several young Transgenics were playing a game of X-Hoops, a type of modified Basketball game that was crossed with Tic-Tac-Toe and Rugby.  The goal of the game was to gain dominance over the nine hoops on each side in a space of four five minute quarters or who ever controlled a bulk of the eighteen hoops at the end of the four quarters won the game.  Right now E-Gad, a honeydew skinned X8 was dribbling the well-worn basketball in her hands as she blurred past her fellow X8 named Jim who was on the opposing team.  E-Gad's red hair and gold eyes glistened in wetness of the Seattle air, as she was about to give dominance to her team with this shot.  Then her sight was blinded as a reflected light beam hit her in the eyes.  The result of this light shining on her, lead her to miss the shot and make the ball miss the hoop completely as she fell to the ground.  E-Gad was pissed as hell as she got up off of the ground.  

            "Okay who was the idiot that blinded me?"  E-Gad said as she started to look in the direction of where the light was reflected into her eyes.  Several Transgenic children on both teams started to look in the same direction E-Gad was looking in.  The a Cat Nomalie Boy named David who turned to see the people sanding right behind him let out a growl of anger as his brown fur started to stand on end in anger.  Suddenly both teams started to rush over to tackle E-Gad as she started to blur at maximum speed.  

            "E-Gad...  don't..." said Jesse a X7, whose mocha brown skinned face and his stained synthetic tissue vocal cords showed worry as he and several other Transgenic children had as hey were forced to hold back the Feral X8 as she started to growl in anger at the two Ordinaries before them.  

            "Those idiots made me miss my shot..." E-Gad said as her visidual claws started to expand from between her fingers.  

            "E-Gad down..." Van said as his X-series Tiger striped body get between her and the Ordinaries that had wondered into their game.  "It's not their fault they are idiots."  He said as E-Gad stated to calm down and retract her claws in the process.  

            "Sorry about screwing up your game kids."  A woman said as she cautiously started to move towards the children.  

            "No Big."  A Nomalie Dog Girl said as she readjusted the scrunchy in her brown hair.  "We can redo the last three minutes of the game so that E-Gad and her team can redo their battle strategy.  Sound fair to you E-Gad?"  The Dog Girl said as she turned around to the Red Haired Girl.  

            "Yeah...  That sounds fine."  E-Gad said as she slowly let her mood calm down.  With that Van let go of her as she shot the reporter a look of Death Daggers that would have carved through the reporter's flesh like a set of rusty saw blades. 

            "Okay..." The reporter said as she looked at the eclectic mix of ages and series of children that were before her.  "My name is Jessica Sliverstone a reporter for one of the news stations that was covering the Siege and I was looking for one of your kind."  She said unsure how to proceed as several of the "children" looked back and forth at each other.  

            "So you messed up our game for this..." Mimiru said as her hyper developed X8 Ohh-Ra body jiggled as her breasts wanted to explode out of her Red Training Bra sports top.  

            "Sorry," Jennifer said as she pulled out a picture she had made using a composite image-maker that the studio had to piece together police suspect information.  "Have you seen this girl?"  It took a moment for several of the Transgenic children to recognize the face.  

            "Yeah, we know her.  Which version do you want?"  Van said as Jesse took the image from her hands to examine more closely.  

            "What do you mean by which version?"  Jessica said as she got the feeling that the Transgenic she was looking for was probably one that got pumped off of a production line.  

            "Well, we all are cloned off the older models."  Van said as he looked over to Jesse.  "Hey Jesse could you call Helena down here it looks like a member of her particular series."  With that Jesse picked up the two-way wireless radio he and the other X7s carried with them all the time and did the "blank stare" as he communicated with his other X7s.  A moment later several girls showed up with the same facial features but with their hair dyed different colors so that they could be told apart.  Jennifer just stood there in awe with the scene before her.  

            "So, listen I understand what they mean by you guys being stamped off a production line."  Jennifer said as she took careful looks at each of the Transgenic girls until she realized that every color was here except for blue.    "Do you know where the girl is who has her hair dyed blue?"  Jennifer hoped that this question would flush out the particular Transgenic she was looking for.  

            "Yeah... you know Reice as with Fi the last time I sensed her."  Helena said as she attempted to get used to being heard by other Transgenics. Spoken Language was very different for her in that learning to communicating at a slower rate was a bizarre way of being understood by a broader group of individuals.  But Reice had picked up "Slow" at an accelerated rate than the rest of the X7s around her.  But speaking with these Ordinaries was a strange circumstance for her but if they wanted to find Reice then it was her goal to assist them in their mission.  Reice was going to hate her after this.  With that Helena took the news crew out to find Reice as Mimiru and Van joined her.  

***

            In another part of Terminal City Reice was sitting on a blanket next to her friend Fiona.  For the X8 PsyOp and the X7 combat unit there were things that could be communicated without words.  This was one of those times.  Fiona who was pacing around the roof of the parking garage and Reice was worried.  Fi was one of the few non-X7s she opened up to on a daily basis with.  And seeing her like this made Reice worry. 

            "[Fiona PsyOp Generation Eight please stop pacing around, you are mentally detrimental to your current combat effectiveness.  Please give situational update about personal mental state.]"  Reice communicate to Fiona using her X7 "Telepathy".  Fiona got the message in her mind and stopped pacing around and moved over to Reice on the Blanket.  Fiona whose current garb was a black long sleeve t-shirt and a black pair of jeans and a pair of fingerless gloves made her light skin and blond hair stand out.  Reice whose black pupil-less eyes looked up to Fiona with worry.  

            "Reice I don't know what to do."  The young PsyOp said as she leaned over on Reice's long blue jacket and looked into Reice eyes.  "Given what is going on, I want to know more about who our allies and enemies are."  Fiona said as she curled up on the blanket.  Reice leaned over and gave a side-by-side hug to her friend.  

            "I understand Fi, you are curious from being outside of Terminal City as the Siege took place with me and had to deal with various groups who you didn't know how to operate around."  Reice said in "Slow" as Fiona started to grin some.  

            "No it isn't that, it was when I was around Sam's little boy, I just didn't know how to behave round him.  But it isn't that I think that being around so many Ordinaries is kinda scaring me and that I might be curious about one of them?"  Fiona said as she tried to figure out how to say what she had on her mind.  

            "[Fiona I understand what you are saying.]"  Reice said with her "Telepathy" as she switched towards speaking normally again.  "You want to know if this Ordinary you want to learn about is right for you.  But I thought you were with Van."  Reice said turning her head in curiosity.  Fiona took this and looked right back at her.  

            "Reice it isn't that I want to mate with this guy, it is that I am curious about one of our allies.  I want to know how he moves, but I still am in love with Van."  Fiona said as Reice digested this information.  

            "So you want to be friends with this individual?"  Reice said stating the question to her friend.  

            "Yes I do, I know that he is older than me, but I just want to get and know him.  But Van and I have that link that we both feel for each other the same way."  Fi said getting all dewy eyed on her friend.  Reice gave her friend a brush on the cheek with her hand as she grinned.  

            "I know but I want to find a mate like you have.  Someone that has the same tastes in fruit and fried bugs I do."  Reice said as she let the back of her jacket puff up from her wings started to expand from the erotic images she had of her ideal mate dance around in her mind.  That was when Fi sensed something coming their way.  Two Ordinary Reporters, a X7 and Van with another Ohh-Ra all searching for them.  

            "Hey Fiona, Reice...  We have been searching for you guys."  Van said as he saw where they were at and blurred over to them leaving the reporters in shock with his speed.  With that Reice turned to see with her enhanced vision the two reporters whose lives she saved during the "Battle of the Freaks."  Reice stood up to walk over to Van.  

            "Hey Van, how was the X-Ball game?"  Reice said as she tuned her gaze to Helena who in a moment communicated the events of the Ball game to her in 3D THX super surround sound digitally enhanced image clarity to her, that and images of Jesse's gluts during the game.  

            "Well E-Gad missed the shot and was pissed so we have to do a do over of the fourth quarter of the game."  Van said as the Reporters and Mimiru started to come over as they looked at the construction materials spread about the roof of the parking structure.  "So what have you two been talking about?"  Van said as Reice and Fiona started to blush.  

            "Girl stuff..." They both said as Mimiru got the feeling that she was somewhere in the conversation along with Van.  "You know how has the hottest buts, abs, legs, and 494's love life."  Fiona switched over to finish the conversation.  

            "494..." the Journalist said as all of a sudden there was a yell at the top of someone's lungs.  

            "MAX I SLEPT WITH ALAC.  WE HAD THE GREATEST SEX EVER KNOWN... ...TO THE TWO OF US.  AND I LOVE HIM."  The voice yelled as the residents of Terminal City started to come out to see the girl who confessed her love of the man she was in love with to the world.  With that Fiona and Reice blurred over to the edge of the parking structure and a moment later the Reporters caught up to them as they looked down to a head of blond hair as the voices started to flow up to the upper levels of the parking structure.  

            "Who is that?"  Jennifer said as she looked down into the column of people as they moved around.  Reice and Fiona started to give a look as they both started to search for where Asha was it.  

            "Oh, that is 494's girlfriend.  Asha." Fiona said as she finally got a track on where Max and Asha were at as they entered one of the buildings.  

            "Oh, So 494 is Alec?"  Jennifer said as she turned her gaze to the two Transgenic girls beside her as they nodded in response.  

            "Yeah, Asha has been trying to get through Alec's tough skin due to him losing an Ordinary girlfriend during a mission he was on."  Fiona said keeping what she knew of Alec's love life to a minimum.  

            "So, When Asha came into his life, she has had to deal with all the baggage he has from that relationship."  Reice said as she delved into the structure with her powers to pick up the rest of what the two women were saying.  

            "Oh, So..."  It took a moment for Jennifer to realized that Reice was using the same "Blank stare" that gave Jennifer the felling that Reice was using her powers to see what Asha was spilling her love life over and Reice was blushing in the process.  Talk about being a fly on the wall.  Then Reice turn towards her with a quizzical look on her face.  

            "What is the Karma Sutra?" Reice said giving her a strange look on her face.  Jennifer realized that just talking with this girl would allow them to learn about each other's societies.  

            "I'll tell you about the Karma Sutra and a few other things if you exchange some things about you and your kind so that we can start to understand each other."  Jennifer said to the Blue Haired girl before her as they both chewed over the decision.  

            "Yes."  Reice said as she looked up into Jennifer's face.  "What do you want to know about me?"  With that an exchange of Knowledge began between the two as Fi made a decision to stake out Clemente's house to learn more about him.  Meanwhile inside Max and Asha learned more about Alec than the other would let on. 

***

            Asha, what as Asha thinking she must have been out of her mind yelling about her love life in the middle of Terminal City?  Max just looked as her friend as the events of the past few days just flowed into her like a magical fluid of life.  How much had changed in the past year with the two of them starting off as rivals over Logan but as she listed to Asha spill her guts it wasn't sexual love she felt for Logan it was more or less a type of brotherly love that Max shared with the other members of her unit.  A familial bond that despite Max coming back into Logan's life had made Asha feels like she was intruding on a family space.  She was like the Female version of her brother Zack. The entire thing about Asha being an invetro child sort of calmed her down as she spilt information about how her parents wanted to have another child and went to a fertility specialist to help conceive her, probably from there some of Asha's mother's eggs and fertilized embryos wound up being stolen or taken to be used to create the Transgenics and Asha felt that despite the fact she had a clone of herself running around she had started to become more docile towards Max.  Heck being shot by your younger clone and having to get into fisticuffs with another did make relating to all this weirdness all that much more palatable to the other.  But having sex with Alec was way too much information for Max to digest.  

            "Max...   I don't know what I am anymore?"  Asha said as she broke down in tears before Max.  "Between Seeing Jondy having my face and making love with Alec made me question who and what I am."  Max moved over to Asha as she hugged her friend close.  "Asha I don't want to intervene into your life but Alec is kinda family to me and I don't want you to get hurt.  I know that his life is light-years different than the one I had but remember My people do not open up blatantly to others, so Asha This will take time and I also want to tell you something in private and it might help you understand."  With that Max led Asha to her private quarters in Terminal City and closed the door which looked like it had belonged to a business executive, heck it even had its own private shower, but given the way that the handles and the unit looked like it wasn't functional.  "Asha I want to show you something."  At that moment Max started to peel off her jacket then followed by her shirt.  Asha was wondering what Max was up to then Asha saw all the Weird writing on Max's skin.  "Asha, See these tattoos on my body, they are part of me and only I have them.  Neither Sam or Danni have them only me."  Max said as she moved over to Asha to lift the back of her shirt up.  "Same thing like this tattoo on your back."  Max said as Asha started to look at her with questioning feeling flowing on her.  

            "Max I don't know.  What you mean by this."  Asha said starting to get scared.  

            "Asha, you chose to put those marking on your body, you chose to be a member of S1W.  You chose to fall in love with Alec."  Max said as she moved over to start to put her clothes back on.  "Asha, it is not our DNA or our Faces that makes us who we are.  It is our lives, our experiences, Our Souls...  that make us who were truly are Asha and no one can take that away from you."  Max said as Asha chewed over this newfound knowledge in her head as she looked at Max more closely and she realized that she like Max she was a individual, it wasn't her face, it was her soul that mattered in this crazy mixed up world.  

            "Max..." Asha said looking at her newfound friend and "Sister" in things to come.  "Thanks I needed that."  With that she decided to ask Max a question.  "Max, I know that Logan has some robotics technology that allows him to move around and He sort of wears it like a pair of pants.  Mind that try it out if he isn't using it."  Asha said worried that Logan would need his Exo for some Eyes Only mission.  

            "Well Asha, I think that you have to ask Logan first but if you get some head rush that it will land you in bed, don't there is much more to us than the enhanced speed and strength.  You have a ton of cultural stuff that it will take years for you to learn.  Heck even Logan hasn't learned all of my people's ways but he is willing to learn and that is the big thing."  Max said as she started to drift off into a dream world thinking of feeling Logan's fingers run along her naked back as she dreamed erotically, but she was slammed back to reality as the fact that as long as she had this virus Bitch in her system she would never fully be able to touch him in ways she felt that she should and could be touched.  Touch was a key emotional aspect to any Transgenic's relationship and being able to be touched emotionally and physically was the key for a Transgenic to be attached to someone as a life partner.  With Renfro plotting she had that experience taken away from her.  That was when there was a knock on the door.  As Shadow's voice came through the door.    

            "Hey Shadow."  Max said as she moved to open the door as Asha moved over to one corner to watch what was unfolding before her.  

            "Max I have to tell you something."  Shadow said deciding to fill Max in on what he knew.  "I found a cure for the Virus."  Max just stood there in shock as the information took a moment to register in her head.  

            "What..." Max said as she decided ask again.  "What did you say?"  She said, as she wanted to hear what she thought she heard.  

            "Max..." Shadow said very slowly.  "I found a cure to the virus that has been keeping you and Logan apart."  Shadow said as the information started to fully register with her.  "Now it requires me to get a few donors so that I can give Logan a bone marrow transplant so that he can start producing the Antibodies he needs to stop this bug, but once he has them you two can be together but there is something I have to give to you first, it is a phage that should lure that targeted virus in your system to a specific place so that you can flush it out of your system."  Shadow said as Max had to lean on Asha for support.  

            "You mean that me and Logan can..." Max couldn't force herself to say the words fearing saying them would mean her dream wouldn't come true.  

            "Yes Max, it should take about a month or two but after that you two can go at it."  Shadow said as Max was digesting this, Renfro's Bitch was dead the question in her mind was "Did Logan know?"

            "Does Logan know about this?"  Max said as she was about to fall to the floor.  Shadow quickly blurred to grab her and slowly place Max into a nearby chair.  

            "Yes, Logan knows, I just came from his place and he is willing to go through with this, but there are risks for the both of you."  Shadow said as she started to lean over in the chair and start to almost hyperventilate as she attempted to control her breathing to gain back some control.  "It will take time but if you are willing to take the chance, I can start the treatments in a week."  Shadow said as Max started to break down in Asha's arms.  

            "Yes, Shadow I accept."  Max said as she started to cry as the hot tears started to burn down her cheeks and the salty dryness started to creep into her throat.  With that Shadow leaned over and just let Max slowly fall apart for that short period of time as she like Asha would soon feel the caress of her lover's hands across her skin.  On the other side of town Max's life was going to get complicated.  

***

            For Lieutenant Peter Clemente spending time with his family was one of the few times of his day that he actually felt that he was doing the world some good.  Between working with the Transgenics he felt that he wasn't able to fully get the feeling that the Transgenics saw him as something more.  According to a rumor he had heard floating around is that the Transgenics considered him right from the Hostage Crisis at Jam Pony as an equal, as someone whom they were able to communicate with and understand them as individuals.  But right now he was sitting next to his daughter Trisha, whose brown eyes, coffee tone skin and little button nose brought him happiness in this crazy world, between his little girl, his wife Sharon allowed him to grow into the man that his father told him to be.  To be a good man to those around you, and you will be rewarded.  But watching his daughter doing her homework made him think about the world she was growing up in.  What did she think of it?

            "Trisha, darling."  Clemente said to his daughter as she turned up from reading her science book to look at him worried that she was in trouble but given the way that he was looking at her she started to calm down some, but not by much.  "What do you think about the people Daddy has been working with?"  Clemente said to his daughter as she got up off of the floor and moved over to the table where he was sitting.  

            "I don't really know Daddy?"  Trisha said wondering where this was going as she sat down in the chair next to her dad.  "I have never met a Trans Ginner before, but I don't really know.  The ones that look like animals look kinda creepy."  She said worried if she said something wrong.  "Daddy is it true that their eyes glow?"  She said posing her own question to him.  Clemente moved uncomfortably when she said that.  

            "Yes Trisha, their eyes do glow, even the X-Series.  But from what I have learned from being around them is that they are just as scared of us as we are of them."  Clemente said as he saw his daughter shift some in her chair.  Then his wife Sharon came in to the room and shot them a look that made Clemente change the subject as she motioned for him to join her in the kitchen.  

            "Peter..." Sharon said as she gave him a look of "you are in trouble darling" as she moved towards him.  "Before you had to negotiate with the Transgenics during the Siege.  Trisha asked me to help set up a monster trap in the tree outside."  Sharon said as she looked out the kitchen door.  "She was afraid that one would come in the night and take her away."  The words that Sharon said to Clemente hit hard.  Between the propaganda and the rumors about the Transgenics running about, Clemente knew that it was going to take time and even for his daughter it was going to be a rough time.  That was when he heard a loud clanging of cans outside.  

            "What is that???"  Clemente said as he moved to hear to where the clanging occurring as his daughter rushed over to him.   

            "Daddy, that's my monster trap."  Trisha said as she clung to him as he motioned to her to stay inside.  What Clemente would encounter was that he now had Groupies.  Transgenic Groupies at that, and one just got caught in his daughter's Monster Trap.  

***

            Fiona knew she was screwed.  Between hanging upside-down in this Tree, she knew that getting out of this was well beyond her skills.  With her leg firmly stuck in the loop that was well above her head and the spinning around that was occurring, whoever had constructed this trap knew how to make one.  Not even an X5 could get out of this thing.  Heck, even her telekinesis was of no use here.  Because every time she attempted to push herself upwards so that she could get the loop around her leg to release; she kept loosing focus due to all the blood rushing to her head as well she couldn't get a reference point to lock onto so that she could use her powers clearly.  That wasn't until she sensed her friends Van, David and Nani she knew that she was never going to live this down.  

            "Hey Fi, I see that you bit off a little too much when you decided to do some reconnanace here."  Van said as he moved to where she was spinning around and stopped her spinning.  

            "Thanks Van."  Fiona said as she twisted like crazy.  "Listen could you lean me over some so that I can throw up."  Fiona said in Van's arms with that she tossed her cookies as David's feline Nomalie features and Nani's squeaks could be heard.  That was when the four of them heard the words "Hold it where you are." Coming from right behind them.  

            "Oh, Crap..." David said as his dark brown fur looked like it had been covered in dew, but it was actually sweat coming from his body and all they could hear Nani say in Nomalie was "We are in Trouble...  Really Big Trouble."  As they all turned to see Lieutenant Clemente standing with his gun drawn on the four of them.  

            "Could you kids please explain why you are all standing in my yard?"  Clemente said as he got a good look at the four of them and the puddle of vomit on the ground.  

            "We're looking for her."  David said as Clemente got a clear look at the four of them Glowing eyes and all.  

            "Shit.  Transgenics.  Okay why are the four of you here other than looking for her?"  Clemente said as he motioned with his gun to the four Transgenic Children before him whose ages ranged from eleven to fifteen.  "Did Max send you?"  

            "No 452 didn't send us...  We came looking for her after her friend blabbed about wanting to learn more about our Ordinary allies."  Van said as from Clemente could see that the blond Transgenic girl had her foot firmly stuck in his Daughter's Monster Trap.  

            "Okay, so how did you track her here?"  Clemente said as he looked at the four Transgenics very carefully.  

            "I did the tracking.  Following Fi's scent isn't really hard.  She uses that homemade botanical herbal shampoo that is heavy is lilac."  David said as he moved forward so that Clemente could see him more clearly.  David's feline features and brown fur were very obvious as the police officer.  Suddenly there was a young girl who showed up around the corner of the house and Clemente turned his attention away from the Transgenics towards the Girl.  

            "Trisha, what are you doing out here?"  Clemente yelled to the girl.  

            "Sorry daddy..." The girl said as she started to get a clear view of where her Dad was pointing the gun at.  That was when she saw Fiona still stuck in her trap.  That was before she saw David's face and she got scared.  

            "Hi," David waved towards the girl.  All she could do was wave back before she said "Hi" back.  Clemente realized that it was Trisha's trap and that if the Transgenics were going to get their friend out of the tree then he would need her help to do so.  

            "Trisha could you tell Daddy how to get the girl that is stuck in your trap out of the tree."  Clemente said as he put his gun down.  

            "Daddy, are they going to hurt me?"  Trisha said worried that David was going to hurt her.  

            "No..." David said as he turned his gaze down to the ground.  "We have too much respect for your father to hurt you."  David said as he moved away so that Trisha could get to the lines that supported the trap Fiona was in.  With one pull of several threads the line released from Fiona's leg and Van was able to let her down on the ground.  When Fi was on the ground she took a few steps forward next to Van, then she met Last Weeks lunch as she fell down on all fours and let her guts wrench out again.  

            "Are you okay?"  Clemente said as he moved over to the young Transgenic.  

            "Yes..." Fiona said as she turned her head upwards away from the brown pile of goop that had come from her stomach.  "That security system of yours definitely would catch an X-Series Custom."  Fi said as she almost had to lean on both Van and Clemente to start moving under her somewhat limited power.  That was when Clemente took a look at her ponytail and saw the Barcode on the back of her neck.  

            "You're an X-Series."  Clemente said as he looked over at the other Transgenics.  Other than the Cat Kid, the rest looked like X-Series given that the boy with the Stripes looked like the woman who was at the Transgenics talks he had negotiated with.  

            "Not Exactly, Sir.  I'm a PsyOp."  Fiona said as she turned to Van.  "Van could you move faster.  I don't think I'll be able to hold down what is left in my stomach much longer."  With that Clemente moved her into the back door of the house and right into the nearest bathroom.  For the next minute Fi only knew the curved sides of the porcine idol as what was left in her stomach came out.  It took her a moment to realize that Clemente was standing next to her with a glass of water.  

            "You okay there?"  Clemente said as Fiona's acid fumed teary eyes looked at him with the "I'm in big trouble" look.  

            "Yeah, Sorry about the mess I caused."  Fiona said as she looked like she had opened her mouth and inserted her foot up to her ass.  

            "So, I hear from your friends, your name is Fiona."  Clemente said as Fiona tried her best to grin.  

            "Yeah so what where you doing in my tree?"  Clemente said looking at the young Transgenic girl.

            "I was curious about you. I mean that among my people you are seen as an equal."  Fiona said as she moved to sit on the toilet seat after she lowered the lid.  "You didn't see s as monsters, but as people like Eyes Only and a few others near us."  Fiona started to look worried in that she was spilling her guts to Clemente but she worried about what would happen after she told him.  "I just wanted to know who you really were.  I'm sorry about showing up and disrupting time with your family."   

            "I understand."  Clemente said to Fiona as she looked over where Van was standing.  "So you look like an X-Series Fiona and your friend here is an Ohh-Ra class so what is the deal with you?"    

            "Well I was trying to get to know who you really are.  But since I tried to use my powers on you at a distance, I couldn't get into your head to find out how you move as a person."  Fiona said as looked down at the floor realizing that she just revealed she was a Telepath.  

            "Fiona, I know that some of your people have mental powers but what do you mean by you cannot read my mind?"  Clemente said somewhat worried and somewhat relieved at the same time.  

            "Some Ordinaries like yourself have some natural mutation that blocks our ability to read minds.  So I had to do intelligence the old fashioned way, I went on a stakeout to learn more about you."  Fiona said looking over to Van wondering where she would go next.  

            "Did you go into the minds of the other members of my family?"  Clemente said as he looked at a now scared Fiona.  

            "So, Sir..." Fiona said, as she looked him right in the eyes.  "They are like you, I cannot look into their minds and that scares me."  Clemente just leaned back against the wall as Van looked over at Fiona and Clemente.    

            "Sir, for the PsyOps looking into someone's mind is seen as a part of everyday life for them."  Van said coming to Fiona's defense.  "So individuals like yourself scare the crap out of them.  Hey she reads my mind all the time and there are rules that she and the other PsyOps have to obey, they can only go as far to learn about the surface emotions and go no further unless there is a reason to by several others.  So being able to mental block her is a major thing for her to deal with."   Van said as Clemente started to understand why Fiona did what she did.  

            "So how did you find out what she was up to?"  Clemente said looking at Van.  

            "Well her friend Reice kinda blabbed about who she was curious to so it was a simple process of elimination looking at who our allies are and besides Eyes Only...  You were at the top of the list."  

            "Oh."  Clemente said as his wife came into the bathroom.  

            "Hon.   You better come out here.  The other X-Series just drank a gallon of water in one sitting."  With that Fi and Van looked down at the floor and then looked at Clemente "Nani..." With that the three of them left the Bathroom and headed into the kitchen where the two other Transgenics and Clemente's family were at to deal with Nani's strange yet common Aquatic behavior.  An hour later after Van had made a phone call to command had a Minivan pull up outside.  As Clemente opened the door he saw three versions of Max standing there.  The term "Hi Max..." took on new meaning.  For over an hour as Max chewed out the Children, her clones looked at the others as they came to realize that Clemente's average day on the job was stranger than anything they could think up.  By the end of the night Clemente's wife and daughter became less scared of the Transgenic community but they became concerned at who the real monsters of the world were.  Sometimes the monsters of the world tend to look like everybody else and that makes them all that much more dangerous.  

***

            Asha was running along the rooftops of the various buildings of Seattle.  She felt like she was flying.  Was this what it felt like to be Max, Alec... Jondy.  The breeze flowed on her skin as she did ballet spreads to cross the expanded distance of several lanes of Main Street traffic.  A couple of kids cruising Main looked up to see Asha's howling.  With the sound of a car being tail ended Asha stopped for a second to see several kids in a convertible look over in her direction and she winced in embarrassment.  Uh Oh....  

            "SORRY ABOUT THAT.  I'M REALLY HYPED ABOUT MY BOYFRIEND."  Asha yelled to the teens in the now wrecked car.  All she got from the kids in the car and several other cars was did we actually see what we just did?  With that Asha decided to skeattle away as a Hover drone captured images of her on the roof as well as the accident down below.  With that Asha decided to dive down off the roof of the building and run flat out and head right into a sewer entrance.  Hours later as the footage was reviewed all the officer could make out was the tattoo on her behind and her blond hair.  Other than that Asha would be in the clear.  

            Several hours earlier Asha had paid a visit to Terminal City to talk with Max and the entire spilling her guts to Max had gone both ways.  Between Asha discovering that Max was okay with her being Alec and that Logan would do all he could to find out more about why Asha looked so much like Jondy.  But the running speculation that Logan had come up with was that Manticore needed human DNA to create the Transgenics so tapping Invetro Clones for the Eggs they needed to get the genetic material to create Max and her friends.  For right now all Asha was concerned with was allowing Alec to have the chance to say goodbye to Rachel on his own terms no someone else's.  

            Hours earlier Asha was walking around Terminal City chewing over Max and Logan's future together, she had walked into a repair shop and saw a Rat Transgenic working on several motorcycles and something that looked like a pair of legs.  It took several moments for her to realize that it was Logan's Exo harness.  Asha was drawn to it like a freshman college student to a stashed porno collection.  Ashe was captivated by the elegant design and how simplicity it followed in its layout.  It was pure artwork.  That was when the Rat Transgenic tapped her on the shoulder.  

            "Lost in memories."  The Transgenic said as she freaked a little when she saw him.  

            "Sorry about that."  Asha said as she turned to see the slender "I was admiring the equipment here."  Asha said as she started to get the feeling that Rat here didn't get too many people down this way.  

            "Yeah, Logan's Exo is some piece of work."  Rat said as he looked at some of the equipment around Asha.   "So what's your name?"  He said as Asha moved over to one of the completed motorcycles that surrounded the workshop.  

            "Asha..." Asha said looking at the rat's smooth baldhead.  The little hairs on Rat's ears looked like it was slowly brushing in the air as he moved.  

            "Well my name is Dix."  Rat said as Asha started to giggle some at the fact that she expected some name like Zoltan or Gerry, but Dix.  Dix was the name of a P.I.  Dix immediately took offence to this as he looked at her with a sour face.  

            "Sorry I couldn't stop my self But Dix sounds like you are a P.I."  Asha said as she felt like she was hurting Dix's feelings.  "Listen Dix why is Logan's Exo in here.  I thought that he needed to walk?"  Asha said wondering why it was in here?  

            "Well Logan said that he needed it in here to be worked on due to him getting some medical treatment."  Dix said as he moved over to tap the side control panel to the rig.  

            "Yeah I heard about that."  Asha said, " Shadow said that he had come up with a cure for the engineered virus that has been keeping him and Max apart."  Asha said remember the time that Logan had nearly died during the night of the broadcast that had exposed Manticore to the world.  

            "Yeah I'm glad for Max and Logan finally being together, given all the crap they have been through to get there."  Dix said as he moved away from the Exo to another project he was working on.  At that time Asha moved back over the Exo to see what it would do.  

            "Hey Dix, do you mind that I try Logan's rig out to see how it handles?"  Asha said as she walked around the table the Exo was perched on.  Dix turned his attention away from what h was working on to move over where Asha was.  

            "Yeah but you have to take your pants off first to get into that thing."  Dix said looking at her waist.  Though it was a considerably smaller than Logan's, Asha would have a hard time getting into the rig with her pants on.  Asha just shot him a look of defiance of "Oh yeah."

            "I'll see if I can put this on without taking my pants off."  Asha said as she moved over and attempted to take the rig down off of the workbench.  But after she tried to heave it up several times that Dix instantly knew that Asha was not a Transgenic.  That was when Dix came over and took the unit down and opened it up for Asha to get into.  After Asha attempted twice to get into the unit with her pants on, she found that that the pants leg kept snagging on the leg servos and making it imposable or her to move.  With that Asha with a sigh of defeat decided to take off her pants but she asked if Dix had an extra pair of pants laying around for her to get into.  With Dix handing her a pair of his clean pants, Asha was finally able to get into the unit.  After Asha made a few jumps into the air and a few kicking holes into the side of a old trashed pickup truck that all that was left was the frame and rusted out side panels.

            It had taken her remembering all the ballet classes she had taken as a child to get a hang of this unit.  But after Dix's walk through of the system Asha was moving like the wind.  Now what to do with her new powers?  It had taken her an hour of leaping over the security fence of the various sector checkpoints that she started to get the idea through her head of paying a visit to Mr. Berrisford residence.  

            Between stopping off at her apartment to get the file that Aspen had given her about Alec and his Manticore career.  Some of the stuff about Rachel Berrisford and how her death had torn at Alec so badly that even after they had sent him in for a psych evaluation; Alec still had nightmares about the forced murder of his Girlfriend who he had fallen in love with.  

            During Alec and Asha's night of passion, She had felt that Alec's nightmares about the events of what happened to Rachel would happen to her.  Even after they had Sex, Alec had fallen asleep and it wasn't the type of sleep that one would call peaceful.  

            "Asha....  ASHA.  NNNOOOOOOO."  The sweat beads funning down the back of Alec's neck was such that it left Asha terrified as she nearly feel out of the floor as she sprung up in sheer terror.  Asha in all of her nudity was scared that whatever Alec had dreamed about scared him to his very core.  Asha moved over and asked the simple question.  "Was it about what happened to Rachel?"  Those words had led to Alec talking about the Botched mission and the pain he had felt for.   Asha could feel the slow breaking of his heart as she learned that Rachel's father had leaned that Alec was alive and in the area and that he had used an imposter to nearly drive Alec nuts with guilt and regret for the assassination that Alec was going to rig into a disappearance / Erasure that would leave Berrisford and his daughter alive so that Alec could live out the rest of his days in piece.  But that would never happened due to Agent Johannsen and his little detonator.  Asha was going to make sure that Berrisford knew the truth and that Alec would finally be able to get back at the people that ruined his life.  This job wasn't for Asha Copland Barlow.  This was a mission to right a wrong for Rachel Berrisford.  

            Within the book bag Asha had the computer files as well as the hardcopies that she was going to give to Berrisford so that Alec could say goodbye on his own terms.  Asha's plan was simple leap over Berrisford's front gate, move through the security and knock on the front door and drop off the files.  Things were not going to b as simple as this in reality.  The plan was going to get real messy really quick.  

            Asha had found the Berrisford house in one of the more posh neighborhoods of Seattle.  As Asha cleared the Ten-foot fence the surrounded the large estate Asha ran into her first problem.  She landed right on top of a fifty thousand and dollar Sedan and broke in the windshield in the process.  Asha had just royally screwed up.  That and the Car alarm was going off like crazy.  Heck she must had even set off the low jack.  Geese talk about leaving a mess that even Max with all her connections wouldn't be able to clean up afterwards.  Asha was Royalty fucked in the process...   that and the five guns in her face.  

            "Hi Guys." Asha said as she got up and moved from the wrecked windshield of the car.  A she started to move to a more open area, Asha decided to do something stupid that would come back to haunt her, she jumped across rooftops like a comic book superhero.  Well if you are a rent a cop who is paid twenty-five dollars an hour seeing a gorgeous blond girl in her twenties take off like a bullet and fly like she just came out of a Hong Kong action flick well you have your work cut out for you.  All Asha knew was that she had to get these papers to Mr. Berrisford so that she could tell him the truth of the events that had happened for him to loose his daughter.  So using one o the guys as a launching post she flew upwards to the second story window and flew right through it.  Well if the guys through they were dealing with an Ordinary human they were wrong, they were dealing with a girl on a mission wearing an cybernetic rig so that she deliver the truth to someone who needed it.  That was when she slammed into what looked a home office and an old man who from the pictures that she had seen from the files Aspen and Shadow had given her she realized that she had found Mr. Berrisford.  With that she stopped running and put her hands up as the guards came running in.

            "Mr. Berrisford... I apologize for coming in like this but we need to talk."  Asha said as she laid her book bag on the ground and moved away.  She let the guards go through the bag making sure that there were no weapons in it.  All they found in the book bag was several computer diskettes and plenty of printed files.  

            "Mr. Berrisford I cam here to tell you that the people who ran Manticore killed your daughter."  Those words caught Berrisford's attention instantly.  "The members of the Transgenic community feel that despite all the things they have done in the past some of the more horrendous stuff was performed by those who controlled them such as my boyfriend Alec." Asha said as Berrisford started to look at several of the files and realized that he had stumbled right into Manticore head on.  

            "You mean your boyfriend was the individual that left my daughter in a coma that she never woke up from?"  Berrisford said as Asha realized that she might have made things worse for herself and Alec.  

            "Mr. Berrisford..." Asha said as she tried her best to let Mr. Berrisford know that Alec tried to save his and Rachel's life. "If you read through the file and the disks containing Alec's Psyche Evaluation you will see that Alec tried his best to save you and your daughter's life. Hell the files even have the real name of the guy that pushed the button the cost your daughter he life."  Asha said as she pleaded with the man before her.  As Berrisford looked through he disks he found one listed 494 Psyche Eval and he popped it into his computer.  For the longest time he couldn't believe what he saw on the screen this man on the screen was a Transgenic and that the voice of the man behind the screen who was commented that he had to set the detonator off so that 494 could complete his mission.  Hell 494 had fallen in love with Berrisford's daughter and was willing to blow his cover to live happily ever after with her.  No way in hell.  The look on Berrisford's face showed that he was willing to listen to Asha as he fell back into his office chair.  

            "How did you get this stuff?"  Was all the widowed father could say to Asha as she sat worried before him knowing that she had to spill the preferable beans and let the man before her know the truth about who really killed his daughter.  

            "Alec aka 494 after Manticore had burn down he and several other Transgenics tracked down a few members of the Eyes Only Informant Net and joined up with them.  That is how him and me met.  Along with What Eyes Only had been able to get his hands on through some contacts of his both human and Transgenic he has uncovered a lot old deep dark secrets about the place.  I got this file through a Transgenic operative that gave me the low down on Alec due to the two of use being in love and she wanted me to know why Alec was being so distant to me."  Asha said as she moved out of the vacant chair on the other side of the desk from Berrisford and stood beside him letting tears come to her eyes as she knelt down before him like a scared child wanting him to chase the monsters away and let her know things were okay.  

            "All I want is for Alec to say goodbye to Rachel on his own terms so that he can go on with his life."  Asha said pleading before him.  Then Berrisford made a decision that would affect the world for years to come.  

            "I will help you."  Berrisford said to Asha as she chewed over the next words he would say.  "I want you to set up a meeting with the Transgenic Leadership as well members of the Eyes Only Informant Net.  I want revenge on Mr. Johannsen and those who ordered the death of My daughter and Myself."  Berrisford said as he got up from his desk and moved over across to her.  "I'll have my men drop you off outside of Terminal City."  With that Berrisford signaled a man to come over and said, "Mr. Speagal please take high young woman back to Terminal city and see that nothing happens to her, I believe that she may be helpful in setting some tings right and in order in my life."  Berrisford said as Asha got up and left the room with the guy afraid that she might be getting into more trouble than she thought about.  But before she left she made a request to Mr. Berrisford. 

            "Mind that I use your phone real quick so that I can contact someone."  Asha said waiting for a response from Berrisford.  It took a moment for Berrisford to respond back to her, as he was engrossed with the information that Asha had set before him.    

            "Yes you can, but I want to listen in."  Berrisford said as Asha picked his desk phone and put it on speaker.

            "Max this is Asha."  Asha said over the phone.  In the space of five minutes Asha got chewed out for making a run on Dix's repair shop, the taking of files that Aspen had gotten from Eyes Only and not to mention the leaving of a five car pile up after she cleared a Main Street in a single leap.  Berrisford realized that Asha was an individual acting on her own terms.  But Fate had given him his chance to see the truth of why he was targeted by Manticore now with the creations of Manticore and the Informant Net; he would finally be able to get vengeance for his Daughter's death.  Life was going to be interesting for everyone in the future with this.  

***

            Max had a rough couple of days, between dealing with a real pain in the guttus maximus young X8 PsyOp, who she had to chew out for the entire staking out of Clemente's house and traumatizing Clemente's daughter.  But for the most part the Clemente knew that the young Transgenic was beating herself up more for her actions than Max or the girl's CO could do.  But Clemente said that the girl had lost her lunch about three to four times in the space of twenty minutes was enough punishment for her after she had gotten stuck in his daughter's monster trap.  So they were pretty much even.  Though he did ask for the girl to show his daughter her barcode which after all Fiona had been through was a fair trade.  The look on Fiona's face was understandable as Trisha felt Fiona tense up as she touched the young Transgenic's neck.  Trisha just looked the lines of the tattoo but it was the softness of Fiona's hair that had gotten Trisha's attention.  It wasn't until Trisha asked about what shampoo Fi used that the two started to chat about the usual things girls talk about:  Boys, Music, their favorite movie stars and school.  Both Clemente and Max knew that given the way those two were cheating away that they were going to be friends.  Max and Cindy 2.0.  Nothing much could be said more about that.  

            That was an end to a nasty few days.   Between the mess with Asha going to Berrisford's house and causing a traffic accident in the process, Max knew that she was seen by many as "The Transgenic Leader," not as being one of the many leaders that kept watch over the Transgenic Community.  Even Normal knew she was one of the many leaders of the Chimearic Council.  All he asked from her when she came back that he would only allow her lateness on the terms he had a video tape of the meetings when she came in.  Something in the back of Max's mind told her that little Elfie's birth had affected him more than she expected.  He was becoming nice to her.  Though Max didn't tell him that Gem and Elfie were staying with Joshua partially due to Gem's old quarters being the entrance to Sandeman's Secret Lab and that Josh and Gem seemed to a natural match for each other.   Gem the Muse and Joshua the artist.  Hey stranger things had happened.             Right now all she wanted was to go shopping with Joshua and Melfina.  Between Joshua's helmet and Melfina just being near her made her calm down somewhat.  Well having two friends near her as she walked around in public allowed her to feel like things were returning somewhat to normal but occasionally she heard people talking about Transgenics moving among them in public.  Boy if they only knew whom they were saying this too.  But Grocery shopping did make life feel like it was okay.  People were bustling about to carry on their business and given that Melfina was helping her made Max think about the events of learning that she and Logan would be together with in the space of two months.  Max could smell the sub oil of Logan's day old beard growth, the scrape of those little hairs across her face where she hugged him and the smell of his cooking saturating his clothes and his pores.  That was when max walked right into a support pole in the middle of the corner market. 

            "You okay Little Fella?"  Joshua said as he toted the cart right behind her.  Joshua's slow verbal tones sunk in as she turned to where Melfina was coming up behind with a box boiled of milk in her hands.  

            "Yeah Joshua I just have been thinking about being with Logan."  Max said as she shook the cobwebs from her head.  

            "So, Shadow told you about the side-effects that were going to take place from the treatment."  Melfina said as Max shot her a look of worry and concern.  

            "What do you mean Melfina?"  Max said moving towards the younger Transgenic.  "What Side-effects?" Worry hit Max's eyes with a vengeance.  

            "Well given that Logan's body needs a new immune system.  Shadow decided to take a page from the research that we got from the files from White's portion of the Manticore database and getting Logan over the virus will require him to become one of us in the progress."  Melfina said knowing that she knew that Max's psyche was fragile as it was.  "What Shadow didn't tell you was that Logan has started the process already and if he stops....  Max... Logan needs to complete this or he will die."  Melfina said as she worried that Max would break down.  

            "So what are the side-effects that Logan will undergo?"  Max said as Joshua moved over to comfort her.  Melfina decided to lay all down. "Max, Logan will have enhanced senses, speed and strength, and a slightly higher body temp."  Melfina said as she worried about Max but Max digested this information.  But Max just digested this and accepted that the risks she and Logan were taking were going to change their lives.  Then she decided that if she stopped her life now then Renfro had won.  

            "Melfina thanks for telling me the truth about Logan's condition.  So how much more does he have to go for the treatments?"  Max said as she raised her gaze upwards to Melfina.  

            "I'm not sure but Shadow is the one pulling off the treatment, but Max knowing that Shadows knows, you and Logan can finally beat this thing."  Melfina said as she gave Max a strong hug to cheer the elder Transgenic up.  "Hey Max how about finishing the shopping and I think we have to rescue Josh from the deli department."  With that she could see Joshua's large frame as she started to sniff around the various meats that were behind the glass.  

            "Yeah," Max said looking as Joshua's helmet started to shift around to reveal his lower mouth.  Quickly they moved over to rescuer Joshua.  "Hey there Big Fella, your helmet is about to fall off."  Max said as she re adjusted the chinstrap of Joshua's helmet.  It took a moment for Joshua to realize that his helmet was about to fall off.  With the Helmet adjusted.  She moved over to the counter and asked for a dozen mini-sausages and ham hocks for Josh to have for his celebration that he was holding for the end of the Siege.  Then they all moved over to the isle that had the Macaroni and Cheese.  As they were moving Joshua seemed chipper as he talked about Gem and Elfie.  Max could understand why he was so protective of them.  But it was as if Joshua had found his own muse that he could feel for.  Max liked how he moved as he semi danced through the isle to his own impromptu beat.  That was up until Joshua put his hand on a box of Mac and Cheese and accidentally touched some girl's hand in the process.  As Joshua was about to remove his hand he turned to see her face and he freaked Big time, and something about the girl made her freak at the same time as well.   "THE FLYING BUFFALO HAVE RETURNED MAX..." Was all Max could hear as Joshua freaked as if he was weed once again seeing the images that scared him to his core.  It took a moment for Max to digest the information that the girl with whom he had come into contact with probably looked like the one of the people that had gotten him high.  

            "Joshua, are you okay?" Max said as she rushed over t his side as he slid down on the isle floor.  "I'm here Joshua."  Max continued as she sat down beside him.  As Max comforted Joshua, Melfina moved over to look at the blond girl whose red sock cap and most of her garb placed her as being a fellow bike messenger.  It wasn't till the girl said "Joshua the dog boy..." That was when Mel hauled off and grabbed her after Mel blurred up to Ms Flying Buffalo Queen.  

            "Wait you know Joshua from him doing those deliveries right before he freaked several months ago?"  Melfina demanded as the static charge formed around her body.  This caught the girl off guard as she started to feel static cling around her hair.  Mel just gave her a glare that would scare the crap out of a monster out of a Clive Barker Novel.  But the girl started to slide down as she realized the joke that she and her friends had pulled off on Joshua had severely traumatized him.  

            "I'm so sorry about the joke that me and my friends had pulled off."  The girl said as she with a clear head had realized the damage she and her friends had done. "Do you accept ay apology?"  The girl said as she moved towards Joshua as he sat curled up by the shelves of the isle.  Joshua just looked like he was working through the images he had experienced in his Marijuana induced state.  Then Joshua turned his gaze upwards and said.  

            "I forgive you, I still have those images in my head and I was scared but I wanted to be part of the world."  Joshua said as he looked towards Max.  "Max I'm glad that Logan was there for me t help me through what I was experiencing."  Joshua said as he took a moment to put the words together that he would say to Max.  "Max do you think that I want through will scare Gem way from be being with her."  Max just leaned her head on his shoulder and said.  

            "Don't worry Joshua she cares about you.  Given what the two of you have been through you would make excellent father material or her daughter Elfie."  Max finished as he let the information sink in.  

            "Gem wants me to be Elfie's dad???"  Melfina and the blond messenger girl just looked at the scene and realized that Joshua had issues.  Very big issues to deal with pertaining to the world around him and the family he would soon become part of.

            "What does this mean for Joshua?"  The messenger girl said leaning over the Melfina who had just gone full bug eyed on everyone.  

            "It means that Joshua just realized how much of an impact that he has on the people around him."  Melfina said as Joshua started to shift his large frame off of the isle floor.  

            "Melfina is right Joshua will show Gem and Elfie that I am a good father.  I have a lot to learn but I will do my best to be a Father to little Elfie."   Joshua said as he make his own pledged to do the best to guide the little baby Transgenic girl into her adulthood the best he could.  

            "Way to go Joshua.  Way to go."  Melfina cheered as the people in the surrounding isles realized that something important had happened to this large man's life.  Little did they knew that Joshua was going to be part of events that would change the world forever and that Max would learn her destiny along the way.  With that a new set of glyphs had started to take from on Max's skin, the word "WARBRIDE."

***

TBC

Please R and R for me

***

Next Chapter 3:            Politics in the world, Sanity in an Insane world, and Halloween parties.  

***


	3. Chapter 3: Politics in the world, Sanit...

DARK ANGEL 2022:  Manticore Aftermath:  (HDCC 2)

By Shannon Hearn

The characters of Dark Angel are owned by Twentieth Century Fox Television and Cameron Eglee productions.  All other characters are of my creation.

***

Parental advisory:  This chapter is rated "R" due to it containing mild sexual content and nudity.  

***

Be warned there is going to be a lot of Sexual References in this Chapter so it having an "R" Rating is warranted.  I have toned it down to fit FF.net standards so any flames or complaints about this chapter can be sent to 

Shannon_hearn2003@yahoo.com 

List the subject as being "DA2022" so that my junk mail filter doesn't trash it.

Now on with the story

Chapter 3:            Politics in the world, Sanity in an Insane world, and Bad Halloween parties.  

***

            It had been days since that mysterious sprit had shown herself to Charles Sandeman Junior.  The strength and power she sowed in freeing him made him think of the stories his father told him about the "WarBride."  WarBride was an ancient warrior queen that many of the Familiars had seen as a bringer of death and of rebirth during the times of the ancient plagues.  She had co from a village that had been a target of a raid by a rebel faction of the Familiars that had seen her people as being abominations.  But her people had fought them and won.  It was as if they had powers that made the Familiars greatest warriors look week in comparison.  She had slaughtered many of their kind but she had taken pity on those whom she had come into contact with.  Mainly the families of these who had turned their backs on the traditions and let their children live.  Many of WarBride's people had mated with the Familiars and had told them that a time would come that they would once again rise.  That was when the Pages had hit but they had a natural immunity and it was feared that their decedents would destroy those of the Conclave as the sought power to dominate mankind.  The WarBride had taught tolerance and cohabitation.  Ideas that his father had believed in had wanted to teach to Ames and him, but sadly CJ's bother Ames believed in that the Conclave would be the victor this time around, but seeing the marking on the Transgenic Max.  Was this the time that the WarBride would return and finally destroy the Conclave once and for all.  All CJ knew was that he had to get to Seattle.  

            Through he drugged haze he had been fighting through there were moments of clarity for CJ in which he had been able to change out of his medial garment and into second and third hand clothes that he had gotten his hands on.  CJ during one of those moments he had taken a permanent marker and replaced the Barcode tattoo that he had attempted to duplicate on the back of his neck to blend in with the Transgenics of Terminal City to hide from the Conclave and the other Familiar that wanted him dead all for knowing that they existed.  But now the marking posed a new meaning for him, it was the symbols of WarBride's people return to earth and he would fight his way into Terminal city to get the answers he wanted and to serve at her side.  Now all he had to do was to get there in one piece.  Little did he know that as he moved across the nighttime highway that a car with a broken head light would hit him head on and the person driving would get him to his destination faster than he could believe.  

***

            For Carry-Anne Fitch driving with her boyfriend was one of those things that you never for get.  They were on their way up to the local Lover's Lane to get so much needed Cuddly Pooh Bear Lovin.  But all that changed when her boyfriend Matthew Chohn hit something in the middle of the road.  Even with one functional headlight that had burned out from water getting into the connection socket in his car the impact and the raw shock of seeing a body of a person wind up on your hood was scary enough to give on a coronary heart attack way before they could hear the moan of the person.  Quickly getting out of the car after hitting the breaks like mad.   Carrie and her boyfriend knew that they had hit somebody as well as knowing that the guy was still alive.  As the two of them moved slowly towards the front of the car to the disjointed figure on the hood they could still se that the guy was still breathing.  As Matthew reached over to touch the guy's neck the person leached on up and rolled of the hood of the car under his won power before he collapsed to the ground.  

            "Must get to Terminal City.  Must get to Max The One..." With that the man collapsed right into Matthew's arms.  It wasn't until Carrie got a look at the back of his neck that she realized they hadn't just hit a man...  They had hit a Transgenic... Barcode tattoo and all.  Within minutes Carrie had gotten on the phone to her father who was the town doctor to inform him that there had been an accident and that there was a person in need of special treatment.  Carrie would also learn that night that her father was a member of the Eyes Only Informant Net and encountering this one Transgenic would have an effect on the world more than she would ever know about.  

***

            The day at Jam Pony was going like Mad.  Between Max having to deal with Normal's occasional prodding to get packages shipped from one place to another and Melfina being out of the preferable Transgenic Closet.   All Max wanted to hear was that she would be able to touched Logan once again but that was weeks away.  Right now seeing her clone Danni walk into Jam Pony was not a good sign for her.  

            "Hey Danni what's up?"  Melfina said to her fellow X6 came into the main receiving and shipping area.  The look on X6-453's face was of worry and concern that Melfina had only seen on the face on someone about to go out on a mission.  That was until Mel and Max saw that Danni was wearing a long Dark wig that mirrored Max's hairdo prior to the entire mess at Jam Pony went down.  

            Then Max moved over to her younger counterpart and started to walk around her as Normal and several other people at Jam Pony started to look both at Max and Danni.  

            "Danni, X6-453 reporting Ma'am."  Danni said as she looked like she was going to salute Max but the nervousness in Danni's stance let Max know that if she didn't say At Ease soon the Girl was about to freak.  

            "Danni, be at Ease okay.  This isn't Manticore."  Max said putting her hand on the young Transgenic's shoulder and she settled down.  "So Why are you here."  Max said wanting to get an answer out of her.  

            "Max...  Several members of the Council asked for me to be your decoy since you will not stay inside of Terminal City."  Danni said as she started to shift around on her feet.  Max digested this information before her.  

            "Danni, I would rather experience the same dangers that you all go through being out in the world."  Max said as she stated why she made the decision she did for going back to Jam Pony.  "So let me guess, they wouldn't let me stay here unless I had a decoy and they selected you to be my double.  Am I getting the sum of it?"  Max said as she leaned forward to Danni.  

            "Yes Ma'am."  Danni said as she started to be unsure what would happen next.  Max decided to move over to where Normal was standing and started to speak with him.  

            "Normal, It Looks like I have to fight my own people when it comes to this, but if it makes the other Transgenics feel better then so be it. But Normal I want you to see if you can Hire her on as a messenger okay.  This way I can keep an eye on her and you get another Employee out of the deal."  Max said as Normal chewed over his decision on hiring the young X6.  

            "Okay Max, I will consider it, but I want one thing from her.  I want you to help her with a resume.  I want all her training and skills she has acquired at Manticore that will fit her into this job.  Understood."  Normal said as Max understood what he meant.  

            "Okay Danni, there is one question I have to ask.  How did you do in Urban Social infiltration?"  Max said to Danni as everyone in the room wondered what she meant by Urban Social Infiltration?  

            "Well I was about half way through it when the Fire started.  Ma'am."  Danni said worried that she had failed in blending into her new role of Max's body double.   Max just looked at Danni and chuckled for a moment and sighed for a moment.  

            "Well the good news is Danni is that when I left Manticore I had none, all of my street smarts I learned on the run."  Max said as Danni digested the information she had just received.  

            "Oh..." Danni said as she stepped forward cautiously towards Max.  "So...  Do I get the job?"  With that Max's cell phone rang on her wrist holster and Max reached over to answer it and heard Logan's voice on the other end.  

            "Max, I just got a lead from Eyes Only about where CJ is at."  Logan said with increased worry in his voice.  "It looks like some member of the Informant Net's Kid hit CJ with their car and he got up afterwards before collapsing on the ground."  

            "So where is he?"  Max said, as she knew that this was not a secured line.  

            "I'm still getting the full details but I need you to grab Aspen while I grab Joshua from Terminal City so that we will be able to keep an eye on him."  Logan said as he started to blaze out the door to Joshua's old place.  

            "Where do you need me to meet you at?"  Max said as she moved away from Normal and walked towards Aspen who had been overhearing the entire conversation with her Transgenic enhanced hearing.  

            "Well I'll see if I can score some fuel from Dix down at TC but considering what CJ knows this just became a priority and I just got a Medical Okay from Shadow so I should be able to go on this mission without having another anti-viral recharge in a few days."  Logan said as Max remembered something from the short time she had spent with CJ, he had one of the Conclave's sacrifice snakes that they used during their rituals.  George is what CJ had called it.  George.  They would need George the Snake on this mission.  "Listen Logan I need you to ask Joshua to grab something from Terminal City while you are down there.  Tell him to grab George the Snake.  He'll know that means."  With that Max hung up the phone and turned to Normal and looking at Danni who was waiting to know if she had gotten the job or not.  

            "Normal, I need to take care of some Transgenic Business and I need to take Aspen with me."  Max said as she moved over to Aspen and nodded in understanding.  

            "Max I heard everything."  Aspen said as she moved over closer to Max as they started to Silent Whisper to where even a nearby Transgenic couldn't even hear it.  

            "So basically you need me to get into CJ's head?"  Aspen said as her Gias Psionic powers started to grow as she started to lightly glow, which really creped out Danni who audibly gulped sensing that her new coworkers were thinking about something.  

            "Yep."  Max said as she looked around as Danni was wondering what was going to happen next as Max started to speak up in normal tones again.  "Listen Normal I'll make up the hours later this week, but I need to go out of town.  Since a friend of Logan's got a lead on another Transgenic who got hit by a car, Now I am the only person who this guy will trust since White tossed us in the same freaking cell together, this guy has some serious issues to deal with."  Max said as she turned back to Normal.  "Listen Normal you will have to hire Danni on her own merit, but from given how she is acting, I think that you can hire her but I would suggest that OC and Melfina supervise her during her training process."  With that Max headed out the door with Aspen as Normal looked on wondering how close to the Transgenic that she and Aspen were going to be dealing with, then Normal turned his attention towards Max's "Younger Sister" and saw that Melfina had come over and started to help her to fill out the employment paperwork.  Normal wondered what the application would read like.  How do you list ex-Military Super-Soldier on a resume?  At that moment he had wished that Max had stayed to cue him in on how to write up service weapons training.

***

            Sitting in the back of the aging Pontiac Aztec Max looked over towards Joshua who was pondering the finer aspects of his life.  A small yet simple picture of Gem and Elfie at the dinner table at his apartment told her all she needed to know.  He was happy now and that he was going to help a long lost brother reclaim his life as well was his purpose in life now.  Helping make this world become a better place.  But there was something in the back of Joshua's mind that had bothered her since she had told Joshua that Gem was in love with her.  But it was the difficulty that Joshua was having in understanding that becoming a dad and not all things in life were gong to be easy for him and his family.  That was when Joshua turned towards Max and stated speaking.  

            "Little Fella," Joshua said as Max looked over in his direction seeing the pressure in his features and especially in his human eyes.  "Joshua knows that Gem is close to me but it the small things in her eyes that worries me.  Joshua know that we have been close to one another since the event at Jam Pony but I am not sure that I will do right as a father?  I am afraid that I will fail."  Joshua said as Logan overheard the conversation from the driver's seat.  

            "Joshua," Logan said from hearing Joshua's doubt in his voice.  "You having doubt about your parenting skills but you helped raise several of your kin in the Basement of Manticore so if you have any doubts look at those you have helped."  Logan said knowing that not all of Joshua's charges did so well on the outside.  

            "Joshua, you cannot control what happens in life, you just have to deal with what gets tossed your way and handle the best you can.  That is what I did after I lost the use of my legs and started to use the Exo."  Logan said as Joshua started to understand what he was saying.  

            "Joshua understands Logan."  Joshua said as Aspen started to sense that Joshua wanted something more from Logan in his questions.  

            "Joshua, you are trying to figure out what type of Father you want to be but from what I know, there is no single mold that a father fits into."  The female PsyOp said as she looked over Joshua's way.  "Joshua, asking someone who is already is a parent might help you put your fears at ease.  Hey, many of the Transgenics in Terminal City have been asking several of the Sector Cops and the S1W members about parenting advice.  Joshua, it is taking time to learn about things that you will feel better about being a parent.  Not all the skills are learned off the bat, but some are just learned by just being there for those around you Joshua.  Remember that."  Aspen said as Joshua stared to understand that all he had to fear was that he wouldn't be there for Gem and Elfie, as they got older.  

            "Joshua knows that I will do what I can to help Elfie grow up into the woman she wants to be."  Joshua said as he looked out the window to the flowing forest outside the window.  "It seems so peaceful out here.  Sometime in the furniture I think that I might bring Gem and Elfie out here.  I think that they might like it for a day or two."  With that Max turned to look out the window and she had another vision again.  

            It was several years in the future and she was with the little girl she had seen months earlier after she was out on the beach party that they had celebrated after they had helped Mathews of Seattle Internal Affairs become liberated from Peirpont Limpkin's control of corruption and threats.  The vision of the little girl in her dreams had come back.  It had sunk in since she had seen that young PsyOp Fiona but given the girl's age it would be years till she had to baby-sit for Max.  Bits and pieces of that vision were coming true and it scared her once again.  Now another set of images were unfolding.  

            Max was sitting around a Campfire with Gem and Joshua.  The little dark haired girl that looked like an Elfie of maybe seven to eight years of age.  There was talk around the campfire as the same young girl from her visions as being her daughter came into clarity.  

            "Mommy, I know that I am Transgenic but tell me a little about the adventures of when you meet Daddy."  The small Chimera Cherub said as her eyes glowed the standard gentle yellow green of her mother's heritage. 

            "Tinga.  I know that you are young, but remember that statue of I have of that Egyptian Nomalie sitting in Mommy and Daddy's room."  Max said to the little girl as she nodded in understanding.  

            "Well Mommy was going to steal that statue from your Daddy and after I broke in to take it he caught me."  Max said as she told her daughter the story of how she met her father.  As Max told the tale she noticed that her clone Sam was there with her teenaged son as she hung around his kid sister as Max's instincts kicked in fully.   As Sam looked over towards Joshua as she told of the night Freak Nation was born and Joshua became one of the voices that allied the X-Series and the Nomalies into one body.  The children sitting around the campfire leaned forward to listen to the story as Max told her story.  That was when she saw a golden fox figure come into view of the group.  

            "Max, The Act-I are coming here to speak with you."  The talking fox said as she came over towards Max and sat by the fire.  "Matrix found the man that ordered your sister Tinga's death."  Those words scared Max's little girl as she clung closer to her mother.  

            "You found Black Cell's Leader Reika?  When will Matrix have him?"  Max said as the Fox woman looked around to the others at the campfire.  

            "Max, I believe that Eyes Only should blow the case open here."  The fox said as Max was flung back to her memories of finding Tinga's dead body in that chamber Renfro had her put in for analysis.  Then she saw the fire of Manticore's fall, she had found that these visions were becoming more prevalent in the last few months and that scared her.  First with Aspen's little reunion with Jondy at Crash that ended in a disaster and two roommates and a boyfriend that wet their pants right in front of Joshua.  Who the hell was Black Cell, and who were these Act-I that this talking Fox was part of.  That was when she was flung into another Vision.  Max was in a hospital room as she screaming in pain.  

            "Logan...  I know that we wanted to start a family but you could of told me that this kid would be a soccer star willing to drop kick my tummy to get out."  Max screamed at the top of her lungs as Shadow was standing by her helping Max through her contractions as Logan soaked a cloth and placed it on her forehead.  

            "Max I need to give you some sedative."  Shadow said as his blue medical scrubs reflected in the Florescence Lights.  Then Max grabbed Shadow by the throat as she made her point by squeezing his windpipe.  

            "I don't want any drugs in my system.  My mother was sedated as she was put into forced labor as I was ripped from her womb."  Max said as her eyes started to become bloodshot fury red.  "So, if you get a needle near me, I WILL KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND."  Max said as she pulled Shadow towards her face with her free arm to the point where they were eye to eye and Shadow got the point.  

            "Okay People.  Mrs. Cale has requested not to have the sedative given to ease her pain.  So lets try our best to help her get through this Labor with as much ease as possible."  Shadow said he turned towards the staff around him, as he understood why Max didn't want the drugs as the contractions continued.  Several minutes later, Max pushed with her abdominal muscles to push out with such force that her grip on the metal sides of the bed twisted as her baby girl came into the world as her strains of her legs and entire body went through the natural cycle every female human had done since it had come out of the Cradle of Life in Africa.  The flush on Max's face showed that she was glowing in love and emotions as she took in the smells and images of her baby girl.  

            "Congratulations, Max It's a girl."  Logan said as the looked at the curled up little bundle before them.   "Do you have a name for this little bundle of Joy?"  As Cindy said as she leaned over wearing some sort of weird dress.  

            "Yes I do, OC...  I want to name her Penny Tinga Guevara-Cale."  Max said as she crossed her arms around her naked daughter as a warm Blanket was placed over the two of them to keep the young child and new mother warm.  Then Max was pushed back towards reality as she had her hands wrapped around her body as she glowed in a sensual loving way.  Logan who was seeing this image unfold thought that she was having one hell of sensual daydream.  

            "Um, Max. I hate to interrupt your images of what you are doing, but were are about to enter the town."  Logan said as Max was snapped back to reality and realized that she looked like she had been caught in a compromising position.  

            "Logan..." Max said looking up towards Logan with her gloved hand clung around her body as she thought about the next words she would say.  "When we are able to touch one another once again, have you thought that we might want to start a family?"  Logan almost swung the SUV off of the road when he heard that.  

            "Max, you mean that you want to be my wife?"  Logan stammered as he digested what Max said with the impact of a Nuclear device going off.  

            "Logan, I Love You with ever fiber of my being."  Max said as she started to cry with an emotion that she had never thought she would be able to let other see.  Max felt literally Naked as she started to hiccup worried that Logan would say "No."  

            "Max, You mean that you want this relationship to go deeper, as in a serious date?"  Logan said as Aspen started to sense that Max was going deeper than she had been able to let on.  Max was in Love and she was expressing herself fully before the man she loved with all her heart.  

            "Yes Logan...  I do love you."  Max said as she reached out her hand and stopped just short of touching him.  "When you are cured, I will show you all I am.  I just want you to hold me so that I can hear your heart.  I don't want carnal love, I want to just spend the night in your arms hearing your breath."  Max said as she drew her legs up in front of her in the back seat.  

            "Max, I understand.  You just want to have a normal relationship and I'll do what you say."  Logan said as he moved the Aztek to the side of the road and stopped the car.  "One night of just being a normal Human girl.  I think I can handle that."  Logan said as he grinned back towards her as Max blushed so brightly that Joshua was changing her skin color by her own will.  

            "Little Fella, I'm so proud for you."  Joshua said as he gave her a huge bear hug.  The scene if you unfamiliar with Max and her friends you would think that having a Wookie hug the stuffing out of a girl who just said to her boyfriend, will you marry me.  But within a few hours they would be at their destination and Max and Joshua would have a long journey before them as they helped CJ unlock the secrets in his mind.  

***

            Aspen looked around the small medical office clinic that Logan's contact had set up to treat CJ's injuries in isolation.  CJ was sleeping underneath a table curled up as he tried to forget all the pain that he had experienced for most of his life.  He was more Transgenic than human.  Hell he was more a Nomalie by his nature than he was a Familiar.  With that she motioned over to Joshua to open up the bad and take out the snake CJ had stolen from the Conclave during his escape and hand it over to Max.  Max took the Albino Snake and brought over to CJ and let him slither from her hands and move towards CJ's warm frame.  It took moments for the snake to work its way towards the warmness of his chest is when CJ awoke as the snake tickled him as it sought warmth and safety the same as CJ was trying to do as he rested.   Aspen gently moved into his mind with her powers and nudged his memories and experiences into focus as the familiarities of CJ's life moved from disconcuberated images to a mosaic of crystal clarity.  

            "Hey there George."  The Ostracized Familiar said as he stroked the snake's head letting the warmth and sweat from his hand sooth the serpent.  It took a moment for him to realize that he had left George in Terminal City.  Terminal City, he had to get to Terminal City but the glaze of the many drugs he had been put on started to lift as he remembered his escape by the Ghost couple and his weeks on the run.   The last thing he remembered from the last few days was him being hit by a car with one headlight.  That was when he looked up to see Max.  

            "War Bride..." CJ said as he realized that he was either dead or very alive.  

            "CJ.  It's okay.  Your with friends."  Max said as he slowly got out from under the table with George the snake in his hands as he started looking around the room.  

            "Max..." CJ said as he moved towards Max very slowly and noticed that Joshua was cautiously holding his ground as CJ approached.   "...  Am I dead?"  The question hit Max as an understatement.  

            "CJ you are not dead.  You are definitely alive."  Max said as CJ moved over once again he started to notice that several things around him started to feel weird to him.  That was When Aspen decided to speak up.  

            "CJ the drugs that White's buddies dumped into your system have had a culminative effect on you so what you are feeling right now is your body trying to flush the drugs out of your system."  Aspen said as she moved over to CJ with a clipboard full of information that CJ didn't understand.  "CJ you are going to have a tough road ahead of you and Well be there to help you."  Aspen said as she touched his shoulder and CJ could feel the senses from him being touched and the sensations of his shirt on her fingertips.  That was when CJ spoke up again.  

            "WarBride."  CJ said as he tapped Max on her shoulder.  "I will be at your side."  Max just gave him a look of what was going on here.  

            "WarBride...  CJ who's WarBride?"  Max said as this statement she had said took CJ back, and she didn't know what to say to this new information he had stated to her.  

            "Max you are WarBride."  With those words Max knew that thing were going to get strange for everyone in Terminal City.  

            "Okay CJ here is the deal, you tell me about WarBride and What the hell these runes on my skin mean and I'll make sure that you are made a member of the Transgenic community."  With those words Max moved over and reached into a bag of stuff that the Doctor had for caring for some of the local pets and pulled out a tattoo pen and started to tattoo a barcode on the back of his neck.  The number and touchtone sequence of the members of her Unit who was lost all those years ago.  

            "CJ...  It is going to be a long road for you and you have much to learn about being a Transgenic."  Max said as CJ felt the subtle sting of the ink head in the back of his neck.  

            "I understand Max.  I understand."  With that CJ held George the Snake under his shirt knowing that he would be part of a community and Aspen knew that the Secrets in CJ's head just made her gifts all that much more important to them all.  

***

            Inside of Terminal City Dix was looking around at the gear that he had gotten from Logan's Tech supplier Sebastian.  But looking into several of the crates he wasn't expecting to find in all the pressure foam and Styrofoam peanuts of one create.  A leg.  

            "What the..." The Rat Nomalie said as he popped the lid to see that the bare leg under all the packing material.  Then the leg started Moving as if it was alive.  Brittany an X5 who had been helping unload the shipment of goods from Luna's rental truck to Dix's shop jumped back as she grabbed a ten pound monkey wrench off of a nearby work bench.  

            "Um...  Dix I think we wound up with a body."  The Blond X5 said as her messy hair and second hand green combat pants and gold tank top highlighted her svelte curvy form.  Brittany had spent the last few months recovering from two major losses in her life.  Between losing Biggs, her Breeding partner to a lynch mob and also losing her baby daughter two months before.  She had almost committed Suicide on several occasions including an suicide ala White's retrieval squad.  But it wasn't until a PsyOp took her in after both instances; had started to the slow recovery process that she was able to cope with.  But now she was scared as this limb started to twitch on its own.  That was when Dix reached into the foam peanuts and pulled a head wrapped in Styrofoam and plastic wrap that seemed to be mumbling to be set free.  

            "Easy there..." Dix said as he reached down and moved his arms around the frame of the figure and pulled it out.  "You will be out of this mess."  He said as Melfina, Lauren and Cerberus came into the room as Dix started to tear at the mess of wrapping around the figure's head as Brittany moved over carefully fearing that someone had captured a Transgenic and decided to send them back as freight.  It took Dix taking out a packing knife and cutting through the foam and tape that the head and face of the figure was revealed.  

            "Blessed be the Blue Lady and the Father Creator."  Brittany said as the almost meter and a half long stringing angelic blond hair fell out of the foam helmet the girl's head was in.  But it wasn't the fact that there was a girl in the box, it was her ears that had instantly gotten everyone's attention.  The girl had metal ears that looked like they were a cross between that of a cat and of a mouse.  

            "Easy there, you are among friends."  Brittany said as she put her wrench down and moved over to touch the girl's face as the girl just looked at her with a type of disconnection that was nonhuman.  Cerberus who was watching the scene moved over to the girl and put his hand on one of the ears and started to make a shushing sound as the girl's gaze moved to his eyes.  With slow movements the girl moved her arm from underneath the foam wrappings she was wrapped in and started to move it with determination that the wrapping started to strain then break as she reached over touch Cerberus's face as well as she moved off of the work table Dix had laid her on and stood on the floor.  The foam wrapping around her body started to fall some off her body but enough to reveal that she was completely nude underneath as it desperately tried to cling to her shoulder and waist leaving her long hair to cover the rest from the imagination ala Lady Godiva and a Greek sculpture.      

            "Cerberus..." Melfina said as she moved to where the tactical Android was standing.  "What are you doing? The girl is acting like she knows you?"  Then the girl started to do the same Shushing sound back to Cerberus.  Mel moved over to touch the girl and she was thrust into Cyberspace.  

            The Mouse eared girl was floating in the data ocean as Cerberus took on a human form with his lightning energy pattern textured all over it.  Her BioCyber friend Lauren suddenly joined Mel as they flew through the Data cape.  

            "Cerberus..." Melfina said as she floated over to her Android friend.  "Is she a machine?"  Mel said worried that whatever this girl was she was not human.  

            "Melfina, Lauren..." Cerberus said as he turned to the two BioCyber Girls.  "This is SR-4."  Cerberus said as SR-4 moved behind him fearful yet curious about the two being before her.   "She is a Synthoid and I am filling her in on what I am, what you are and I had just finished uploading a modestly protocol into her.  Plus I am giving her a crash course in social customs so that she will not act so much like a child and more like a teenager."  Cerberus said as Mel floated over to the Synthoid's avatar.  Between Mel finding herself in her black Tube top and skintight Lycra shorts from landing in the data scape, The Synthoid girl was moving slowly over to her wondering what to make of her.  

            "You're Organic???"  SR-4 said as she floated around Mel's data self checking out checking out the small details of Mel's form and data code.  Then she looked towards Lauren who was wearing the same cyber garb but it was blue in color and had a bikini bottom with strings that replaced the shorts Melfina was wearing.  

            "Yes..." Mel said as the Synthoid girl's hair formed a type of halo around her.  "Me and Lauren are Organic."  SR-4 pulled back some and hid behind Cerberus.  "Don't worry, we won't hurt you."  Mel said as Lauren reached over and took the girl's hand and the tension was taken out of the situation as SR-4 hugged the Transgenic accepting that she wasn't alone in this existence.    In that moment they were transported back to the real world.  

            "Cerberus?"  Dix said as he reached over and touched the Android girl as she quickly covered herself with her free hands.  "What is up with you and that girl?"  The Rat Nomalie said as the girl looked over at the others in the room.  

            "Dix...  This is Sarah, she is a fellow droid and I think that we better find out how she wound up here and why a young Artificial Intelligence like her got sent here.  But Dix, I think that she has a sort of crush on you giving that she is blushing."  Cerberus said as the Synthoid started to blush some as Melfina moved over and covered the girl up with her jacket she had been wearing since going to work that morning and Lauren put on her the green extended winter cap she had on to conceal her gills when in public but right now the cap covered the girl's ears so she looked human or at least like a Transgenic.  

            "There you look somewhat decent until we can get you some clothes for your lack of what you are in right now."  Lauren said as she reached over and took her red scarf she had wrapped around her waist as a belt and wrapped it so that Sarah or SR-4 looked like she had some clothes on.  

            "Well how are we going to explain this to Max?"  Brittany said as she wondered about the event they were in the middle of.  

            "Well we might as well tell her because she just showed up at the front gate with that Transgenic she went to retrieve."  Cerberus said as he accessed the video surveillance of Terminal City through the frequency hacking equipment built into his body.   

            "Well we might as well bite the bullet."  Dix said as he turned to Mel and Lauren.  "Melfina, Lauren see if you can get some clothes for Sarah here so she looks somewhat human and not like a girl from 'Wild Beach Girls Five.'"  Dix said this as Sara pulled Mel's Jacket closer around her body to not to isolate the cold but it was as if she had gone from being innocent child to being turned into some perverted Japanese Ecchi sexual play thing that just realized that she was nearly nude for the first time in her life and didn't like it.  Sara went from being a poorly dressed android to being a young teenager that was standing in front of people wearing barrowed clothing to conceal the fact she had shown up in the nude before them.  

            "Will do."  Melfina and Lauren said at the same time as they escorted Sarah to Lauren's quarters in Terminal City to get the girl some clothes and make her look almost Human or at least Transgenic in some way and the first thing that would be changed would be having her hair cut from the ankle length she had shown up in, to it being shoulder length and being dressed in the garb of a Transgenic X6.  Over the next few days Sarah wouldn't be the only one adapting to life in Terminal City.  Charles Sandeman Junior would have his own challenges ahead as well.  

***

            Hottie Blood was happy to be alive as she danced to the tribal rhythms of the music of the nightclub she and her boyfriend Killer were at.  Her dark Scarlet red dress went well with her dark scarlet highlighted hair.  The flashing lights went from fast to slow as the dance music changed to a romantic love theme as several couples on the floor got off and several more got on finding the beat to their taste.  

            "Killer..." the Vampiric Transgenic said as she moved closer to her Ordinary boyfriend.  "I really love tonight."  She said as Killer kissed the blue vein scar on her forehead.   

            "Yeah I know."  Killer said as he put his arms around her body as the slow dance guided them along.  How were things interconnected in life?  Max Guevara, Logan Cale, Bruno Anselmo, Manticore, S1W, the NSA, Eyes Only, Asha, Alec, the Sector Police, Ames White, Marrow, Rain, Seattle, Freak Nation, Conclave, Familiar, Life, Death, and Love.  It was all connected together someway.  If you had asked these two a year ago what these words and people would mean to them, They would have said: Who, What, Where, How and Why?  But those were events, things and people they would know for the rest of their lives.  

            "Hottie..." Killer said as the romance of the moment pulled them in and they kissed.  The moment they had felt for each other was when Killer had seen Hottie inside the old nightclub that the Informant Net, S1W and Freak Nation had set up.  They could tell that they were concerned about the events happening to them.  Hottie was scared due to her being created out of Manticore and Killer was concerned about his friends in S1W.  But there was that small event as they were setting up the satellite dishes for Eyes Only's Super Cable Hack, they started to talk and realized that they had been both through some rough times.  Hottie being preyed upon by a fellow Transgenic who had gotten her addicted to the hyped up endorphins in his blood that would have made that latest designer street drug look tame.  Hottie still had the shakes from getting off of the "Blood Drug" but she had been able to restore her blood and brain chemistry back to somewhat normal.  Though she had to take up a special diet that consisted of foods full of sarotonin and proteins, but the cheese and egg pasta sandwich she had brought with her had finally broken the ice between them when she broke the sandwich in half and gave Killer a portion of it.  

            Killer on the other side had thought that the Transgenics were just wannabe superheroes who wanted to have their voice heard or that they were freaks seeking a free handout after their masters had tossed them out on the streets.  Heck after you have your ass saved by someone who can run on foot at seventy miles per hour and take out the security detail taking your ass to prison.  Well that kinda changes things.  But Killer had seen that the Transgenics were not monsters but just people who were trying to find their place in this insane flipped upside-down world.  But it was when they had crashed on that couch together that Killer realized something about Hottie; they were mirror opposites yet identical, Yen and Yang.  That was when Hottie started to suck on his neck during the dance leaving a hicky in the process.  That was when Killer noticed her sucking get harder that he pinched her but with his hands to let her know that if she was going to get kinky he was going to get kinky as well.  

            "Hottie.  You know if you give me a hicky, I'll have to give you one as well."  Killer said as Hottie pulled her head away from his neck with a blush growing on her face.  

            "Sorry Killer, I'm kinda marking you off limits to the other girls in this bar." Hottie said somewhat embarrassed by the action she took but Killer understood that she was part animal, just a bit more proactive with her instincts than a normal person would.  Killer understood.  

            "Hottie, you know you can come back to my place so that we can have some warm fun."  Killer said as jumped upwards and hugged the stuffing out of him as she squealed in joy.

            "Killer I love you."  Hottie said as her weight on Killer's body started to make him stagger into another couple.  Which looked at them with understanding for they were young lovers once upon a time before they had their family and had to sit in their parked car to have some quiet time together.  

            "Sorry about that."  Hottie said as she slid off of Killer blushing like mad.  

            "We understand."  The older couple said with a chuckle remembering their youth and the wild fun they had before they had kids.  Then Hottie leaned over to touch Killer's lips with her finger as a sign of love and sensuality as they left the dance floor to get their stuff and head back to Killer's apartment to wrestle under the sheets.  

            "You know Killer..." Hottie said as she started to purr on his arm.  "I'm part reptile and you are so warm, mind that we snuggle for awhile before doing the deed."  Killer just looked at her for a moment with worry before she broke out laughing.  It took a moment for him to catch on that she was joking with him as he started to laugh.  

            "Ohh, you got me."  Killer said as Hottie slipped on her black leather jacket before they headed to the door.  "Asha did say that you guys had a sense of humor that took awhile to get used to, " He said as he opened the door for Hottie.  "But I thought Asha was making that part up."  Killer said as they moved through the door.  

            "Yeah, trust me after learning that you're clone is dating a cop, life takes on a whole new meaning."  Hottie said as they moved past a line of patrons trying to get in and some being turned away for just being jerks or not fitting the establishment's code of "C.O.O.L.".  One of the people trying to get in was a white male who several months earlier had beat a Transgenic male to death and hung him from a street light.  In the next few minutes he would set off an event that would shift the push for Pro-Transgenic rights through Congress.

***

            Mark Petterson was standing in line with his soon to be fiancée Kendra Maibaum.  For being a Sector Cop whose main duty was ushering people through security checkpoints and making sure that offences and messes between areas didn't erupt like it did in the months after the Pulse took place.  Kendra had become a beacon of light in this world.  But it wasn't just the fact that he had worked one shift on the day that the Jam Pony Crisis and he had been posted as part of the security detail around that twenty-block mess called Terminal City.  But it was those moments he thought about being close to Kendra.  Now standing with her in this life to get into this nightspot so that he could have some of the mood needed to have a good time and soften her up so that he could propose to her.  Hell he had the ring in his pocket to give her.   Right now Kendra was talking about the current gossip of the city of Seattle.  

            "Mark you know since Eyes Only has been on the air, I have noticed that his mood has changed from fighting the system such as going after corrupt sector cops and corrupt government officials, to businessmen that have preyed upon people, but now Eyes Only looked like he is interested in Transgenic rights.  I mean is he dating one of them or what."  Kendra said to Mark as he reached over to stroke a lock of her long blond hair that hung on her shoulder clinging on one of her well formed and right curved breasts that she had.  Kendra had the right amount of curves that she wasn't large nor was she a skinny stick. She was well portioned, a real woman.  A one hundred percent home grown human female whom he loved with all his heart and would love till the day he died.  Mark had seen some of the X-series females and they looked thin and athletic, something that would put a supermodel to shame.  But for him   he liked a woman with curves and Kendra had plenty of those.  A woman with a Handful of the appropriate parts in the right places that an average Joe like him could enjoy caressing and fondling on her when they made love.  But he listened to her voice as she spoke and realized the true reason he fell in love with her, that spark of humanity that would make a bad day into a good one that seemed to infect others and make this broken world a better place for all.  

            "Mark I mean if I ever ran into on of these Transgenics I wouldn't know what to do?"  Kendra said as something had caught Mark's attention.  Then there was a scream that caught everyone's attention.  

            "Mark...   What is it?"  Kendra said as Mark moved out of line to see what it was.  

            "Kendra, I want you to stay here, I have to check this out."  Mark said to Kendra as he had to leave, but he look on Kendra's face spoke volumes of fear that this was going to be the last time she would see him.  

            "Be careful.  I want to tell you something when you get back."   Kendra said as she clutched hold of a piece of paper in her purse that she was going to show mark which would pertain to their future and with that Mark was off.

            As Mark moved quickly to check out what had happened and encounter an assault in process.  Mark turned to see that the bouncer from the club had come to help him out.  

            "So what's your name?"  Mark said to the bouncer in a rushed tone.  

            "Boom Boom."  The Bouncer said as they rounded the corner and saw three guys beating the crap out of a man pretty badly and one of them was going for a girl who had a broken arm and a twisted ankle.  Quickly Mark reached down and pulled out his secondary firearm that he had on him at all times and coked back the hammer of the thirty-two caliber revolver and aimed it at the men.  

            "Okay you guys you better put the sticks down and move away from those two. "  Mark said as he moved slowly towards the girl who was shaking her twisted body by a dumpster.  Suddenly one of the several jerks decided to be stupid at the wrong time and rushed towards Mark with a homemade Billy club.  Mark pulled his revolver and put it to the guy's head as he reached into his other pocket and pulled out his badge and brought it up to the thugs' face.  

            "I'm a Cop and I deputized that big behemoth by your friends."  Mark said as the thug turned his head to see his buddies being held up in the air by the straps of their underwear and the guy looked at Mark and realized that he was out matched and was going to jail.  That was when a hover drone came by and recorded the incident as in the distance he saw Kendra taking out a cell phone and making a call to his fellow officers Quickly he pulled put some plastic restraints he had on him to put on the gang and he read them their rights.  

            In those moments with Boom Boom the bouncer keeping an eye on the thugs he checked out the two victims.  The guy looked like he would need some serious medical attention as the ambulance arrived.  Thought as he moved towards the girl that Kendra had moved towards to keep her calm, he noticed something through the girl's disheveled hair.  A Barcode Tattoo.  Then he knew that had had just run into the front line of a Speciealy motivated hate crime and Kendra was comforting a Scared out of her mind Transgenic who just wanted to have some time with her boyfriend.  

***

            Clemente walked around the crime scene of a mugging slash attempted Lynching and knew that he was going to have his hands full with this mess.  That was when he moved over to where Mark Petterson was giving his report to a Detective Matt Sung whom he had met on several occasions, but seeing him once again.   Clemente knew that the mess he had walked through and saw that the EMT personnel were loading up the guy who had been attacked by the suspects in custody.  The guy looked like a mess and he was lucky to be alive.  If it weren't for Petterson checking out the noise, the guy and his girlfriend would be dead.  Clemente turned his attention to one of the squad cars and the young woman sitting on the hood with a blanket around her.  The Girlfriend of the victim; a female X-Series Transgenic who looked no more than being out of her teens who was clearly shaken from the events.  Clemente moved over to see an EMT with the nametag of Rapier putting some antiseptic ointment on the cuts she had received from the attack and wrapping her ankle from where she had twisted it during the struggle.  

            It wasn't till he saw the lightening bolt scar on her forehead he realized that she wasn't an X-Series, she was a T-Blood and he knew that he had to approach questioning her very carefully.  He walked over and started to ask her a few questions about the events of the night, and he learned that she and her boyfriend had decided to have a night of fun before going back to his place for some wrestling in bed.  Though she was scared at times, she felt that just him talking with her and holding her hand calmed her down.  Though she was concerned about where Killer, her boyfriend, was going to be treated at, she felt that she had been violated and not matter if you were human or not this invasion of your personal space and it would scare anyone to their core.  With that he decided to ask specific questions of the events and learned that they were talking about some of the Ordinary/Transgenic politics and relationships that was going on in and outside of Terminal City.  He learned that she had let some of this info leak out while they were on the way out and with that phrase they had become a target of these Hate-Mongers who wanted to send a message to the Pro-Transgenic supporters and their constituents suddenly made sense of the attack.  With that she started to break down as Kendra, Petterson's Girlfriend just hugged her as Hottie Blood broke down before him.  It was going to be a long phone call to Max as the News crews started to gather down the street.  Like it or not Clemente knew he was going to be assigned to the case and he would see things that would harkened back to a darker time in the history of the world.  

***

            Inside of Terminal City, Melfina was sitting in the Command Center monitoring the various data feeds coming in from the Eyes Only Informant Net, the Police Scanner, the Local News Services, Cerberus's Intellent scan program inside of White's Old base, and the data feeds from the Police Hover Drones that were flying all through the City.  Mel knew it was her turn in the Command Center tonight to watch the gear for any activity pertaining to the Threat Matrix protocols they had started to follow to the various threats to the Transgenic community and the rest of the world which started to spring up in the local area.  That was when she heard over the Scanner that there had been an attack on a Transgenic.  Her thoughts stopped from the young X6 she was thinking about seeing in the severing line in the mess hall and started to think about who had been attacked and who was behind it.  That was when the call came in on the command phone and Mel picked it up and heard Clemente's voice on the other end.  That was when she learned that Hottie and Killer were the victims of the assault that they had survived through.  Max dialed the other line to get Max as she was working with Aspen to pick CJ's mind about the Conclave and the Familiars.  For Melfina she was going to be learning more about humanity than she ever wanted to know as Shadow got buzzed for immediate deployment.  

***

            Inside of Westbrook Medical Center, Several Sector Police and Transgenics had gathered in the waiting area to learn the status of Killer and Hottie.  Once of them was Rain, leader of the T-Bloods.  The last time she was in a place like this, she had learned about the extent of her mutation and that she wouldn't be human ever again, but it was the memories of Linda Stine.  What if she and the other had left her there in the medical center?  Would Linda still be alive?  Would she have met Max aka 452?  It was those questions that ate at her as she pulled back a braid of her dyed red hair.  That was when on of the Sector Cops came over and sat down by her.  

            "So, you are a member of your friend's unit?"  The cop said as Rain looked up in tears lost between memories of the past and dark visions of the future.  

            "Yes. I am."  Rain said as she looked to see that the Asian cop was moving over and sat down across from her in the seat in front of her.  "What is it?  Are Hottie and Killer going to be okay?"

            "Well Hottie is more worried about her boyfriend, but she is going to be okay other than a few bandages.  On the other hand your friend Shadow is looking at Killer and says that it will be a few weeks till his is going to be doing some dancing.  But the doctors say he is going to be okay." Sung said as Rain leaped out the chair and hugged the stuffing out of him.  

            "Thank you."  Rain said as she started crying.  That was when Melfina entered the room and saw the scene unfolding and blushed a little.  

            "Rain I know that you are desperate to get a guy, but Matt's a married man."  Melfina said as Rain just looked at her and blushed.  

            "Mel...  Hottie and Killer are going to be okay."  Rain said as she got up off the floor and moved towards Melfina.  

            "That's good."  Melfina said as she looked through the room at the various sector police and saw Matthews of Internal Affairs who they had helped months earlier to help bring down Peirpont Limpkin's corrupt officers on the force.  But it was seeing Clemente that made things seem a little better.  

            "So I better head over to where Matt and Clemente are at and learn what led to this mugging."  Melfina said as she marched over to see what information they had on the attack before he gave a press conference revealing the truth of the incident and the outrage that the muggers had taken their anger out on a guy who was spending time with his girlfriend.  A guy that was one hundred percent human whose girlfriend was a Transgenic, brought shock to the audience; a Transgenic guy humping a human girl they would not have stood for, but a human guy humping the hell out of a Transgenic they seemed to tolerate, though having Max speak her mind with Clemente and to the public did calm both sides down.   Everyone knew that the Battle of the Freaks had changed more about the world of Humans and the Transgenics; they now saw each other as equals and given the fragile peace on both sides, this was one event that had been defused.  But in another part of the hospital Hottie was going to make a friend and learn that even humans have cold feet when it came to revealing things about their pasts.  

***

            Hottie was laying her head on Killer's bed and she was scared more than she had ever been in her life.  She could hear the constant beeping of the heart rate monitor counting Killer's individual heartbeats as she held his hand letting its warmth comfort her.  That was when there was a knock on the door and she turned to see a well-figured blond woman standing in the doorway.  It was the girl with the Sector Cop that helped save her and Killer's life.  She looked uncertain about what to do next, that was when Hottie turned her head and started to speak to the blond.  

            "Hi there."  Hottie said as the blond shifted several times before speaking to her.  

            "Um, I just swung by to see how you were doing."  The blond said as she moved into the room to see the dark haired girl.

            "I'm doing okay considering that my ankle has been wrapped up and I'll be on a pair of crutches for about a week or two, but I'm mainly concerned about Killer here."  Hottie said as she looked over to caress Killer's face.

            "So, I just want to know?"  The blond said unsure how to state the next few words.  "Which one of you guys is the Transgenic?"  Hottie just looked with "Uh..." formed on her face.  "Sorry, I heard that one of you guys was a Transgenic, I just thought...  you know your boyfriend was..." It was those words that scared Hottie to her core.  That was when the deer in the headlights look in her eyes came through to its fullest extent as she started to shake in fear that was when the girl started to back off realizing that she had not only scared the crap out of Hottie as she shielded Killer with her body and in the process the hair on the back of her neck moved away to show her barcode tattoo waiting for an assault that never came.  "Sorry... I... I... I didn't know."  The blond said as Hottie slowly turned her head to see the blond kneeling next to her and brushing the hair out of Hottie's eyes to see the hot tears going down the girl's face and the running dark eye lighter that clung to Hottie's cheeks as the events of the last few hours finally caught up to her. 

            "Easy there, I didn't know that you were the one that..." The blond said realizing that she had hit a nerve but given how scared she had left Hottie that she moved over and just hugged the girl.  That was when Hottie started to fully break down and started to cry.  

            "I didn't want to be born this way.  Why would those men want to came after me and Killer?"  Hottie said as the blond just shushed softly in the girl's ear.  

            "It's going to be okay.  It's going to be okay."  Hottie just listened as the smell of loose hairspray and simple lipstick and perfume clung to her body as just being held by this woman took the fear away from her and replaced it with safety.  This was the way Hottie was for several minutes as how dark humanity could be and how powerful hope could from the darkest moment from a simple act of kindness to from a stranger.  

            "Um, what's your name?"  Hottie said to the Blond as she noticed that the female Ordinary smelled like her Mom an image she had not thought about in years as they hugged.  

            "Kendra," the blond said as Hottie moved to se her face.  

            "Kendra, that's a nice name mine is Hoku but my friends call me Hottie."  Hottie said revealing her real name to Kendra as she looked at the Ordinary woman and wondered a lot about her life and at the possible paths of being different and being alike at the same time.  

            "So how did the two of you hook up?  Kendra said noticing that Hottie was blushing a little from her question.  

            "Um we met during an Eyes Only mission."  Hottie said remembering the first time they had met when Max and Asha were forced on a Sensitivity Training.  "It started out with Max and Asha having to spend some time together to work out the bugs between the two of them.  But it turned into an adventure when Peirpont Limpkin learned that some Transgenic saved some kid he was going to eighty-six and we got stuck with her as Limpkin went after a member of my people in retaliation."  Kendra just looked at her in astonishment about this story of how Hottie and her boyfriend had met.  Kendra felt that these two had been through a lot and started to become more than friends, they had started to fall in love and Kendra understood that it took some people to warm up to the idea of saying "I Love you" to each other.  That was when Killer shifted some in the hospital bed that Hottie leaned over to see if he was responsive.  

            "Hottie, Hottie where are you?"  It took Killer a moment or so glancing around his unfamiliar surroundings to see that Hottie was there at his bedside.  

            "Killer I'm here."  Hottie said as Kendra started to move away to leave the two be, but she stopped for a moment as Killer turned his gaze to her.  

            "Hi, um thanks for being with Hottie here."  Killer said as he digested what had happened and noticed that she wanted to let the two of them be as Hottie kissed the heck out of the guy's forehead.  

            "It was nothing she looked like she needed a shoulder to lean on."  Kendra said, as she was about to leave the room.  "Listen I can get a doctor so that they can check you out."  Kendra said as Killer spoke up.

            "Listen you can swing by and talk with us any time okay, I think Hottie has taken a liking to you just listening to her."  Killer said as Kendra realized that she had made a friend among the Transgenics, and was unsure how to proceed.  

            "Okay, Listen I'll leave my number of where you can reach me." Kendra said as she moved over to reach into her purse and pulled out a scratch notepad and scribbled her name and number down on a sheet and handed it to the young Transgenic who took the page as if it was as precious as gold.  

            "Thank you."  Hottie said as she got up and hugged Kendra.  In the days following their meeting Hottie would help Kendra break the news to her fiancé that she was about to make him a father.  As Kendra was heading out of the door she saw Hottie take a pair of really skimpy underwear that she was holding on in her hand and tied it to the sidebar of Killer's bed.  

            "Killer I want you to get well so that you can touch what was in those, okay."  Hottie said as she leaned over to snuggle the crease in Killer's neck before leaving as the doctors came in to check his condition.  The Doctors would wonder and later ask why was there a pair of panties tied to Killer's bed and all he would say was that he had a reason to get better due to him being interrupted on his date with the girl he loved and a special surprise she wanted to give him.   

***

            Inside of Terminal City the word of the assault had worked its way through the Chimera Water cooler over the last few days had left many of the Transgenics inside shaken by what had happened.  For CJ all he wanted was to recover from the treatments the Familiars had given him for most of his adult life, CJ was getting adjusted to his old layer in the Advanced Recomb Building which he had taken up shop in after his first escape from the Familiar holding facility he was held at.  CJ still felt the shakes kick in from what he had been dosed with but he knew it was going to be a long road ahead.  The next three days would determine if he could make it as he went cold turkey and got his neural physiology straight.  As he was making his bed under the old table, he heard a sound as a female Transgenic came in and she looked like she was flustered as she shoved a old file cabinet against the door to barricade herself inside as if something was after her.  When she turned to see CJ she just froze where she stood and fell down to her knees.  

            "NO..." She said as she just let her head fall into her hands.  CJ didn't know what to do.  But whatever she was afraid of he would have to find out.  

            "Are you okay?"  CJ said wondering if that was to obvious, but she just rocked back and forth fearing that there was something more wrong and it wasn't something she wanted to talk about.  CJ creped up over slowly and sat down beside her.  It took a moment for the girl to calm down some as she started to collapse onto his side and he put his arm around her to see if that would calm her down and it did, but she acted as if she wanted to be caressed and not at the same time.  

            "Want to talk about it?"  CJ said as she looked up with tears in her eyes.  

            "I'm in Heat."  The girl said sobbing, as she was scared of this event.  CJ who didn't know all that much about Transgenic physiology just played along as he realized that her being warm was concerning her.  

            "Okay," CJ said as he started to fan her with his free hand.  The girl looked up at him doing this and started to giggle some. "Is this cooling you down enough."  With that he noticed that she was grinning but she was still scared.  

            "Stop it, okay you."  The girl said getting up away from him and curling up into a ball once again. 

            "Listen this is kinda my place and I'm came here to see if I can get the drugs the Familiars dumped into out."  CJ said as the girl looked up at him and realized they were in the same boat.  

            "I came in here to be away from males so I wouldn't have to hump one due to my hormones surging."  The girl said as she got up and kicked the knocked over file cabinet a few times with her foot.  "Now I'm stuck in a room with now way out with a male.  The Fates must be laughing at me."  She said as CJ suddenly started to spasm from his body reacting to him going cold turkey from the drugs he had bee on most of his life.  Quickly the girl blurred over to catch him and brought him over and sat him down on the file cabinet.  

            "You okay?"  She asked as CJ curled up into a fetal position in a loose attempt to prevent his limbs from flaying around.  

            "Nooooo..." CJ said in a slurred tone as he attempted to fight through with most of his might to prevent from biting his tough.  "I need to get through this, I have to show them that I am still alive."  CJ said as Brittany looked over to see a brown blanket on the floor and reached to pick it up.  It wasn't till she saw something fall out of it that she freaked.  There was a albino snake in there.  

            "Akch."  She squealed as CJ tried his best to get up and move over to where she was at and looked at where she was staring.

            "Hey there George."  CJ said as he slithered over to where George the snake was and he reached out a arm to let the snake slither up his arm  "Come on and lay by me so you can stay warm."  CJ said as the girl just kneeled down beside him and watched this scene unfold.  

            "That snake is your's?" She said as CJ noticed that there was some curiosity about why would a guy like him has a pet snake.  

            "Yes," CJ said as he tried his best to get up but his legs gave out from under him due to his body not wanting to go with what his mind was saying.  Quickly the girl covered him with the blanket and sat down on the floor next to him.  

            "Old George here helped me get through some of the more difficult times that I was going through my system getting clean."  CJ said as he remembered the first time that he as laying under the table of the old lab as he tried to get clean.  That was before his misguided betrayal to his brother.  Before he found the WarBride.  Now he was back at the lab with WarBride...  No Max's people.  That girl who had freed him was one of Max's people and he was given assurances that once he had gotten his system clean Max would allow him to mingle with the others of her people.  But for now he was stuck in here with a girl that seemed to be scared yet curious about him at the same time.  That was when CJ decided to learn the name of his fellow cellmate.  

            "What's your name?"  CJ asked as the dark muddy blond svelte girl stroked back a lock of her long messy hair.  

            "Um, Brittany."  The girl said as the tension between them started to fade between them as she repositioned her legs so that she sat Indian style on the floor.   "What's your's?"  She asked as the tail of her gray tank top t-shirt and brown DBU pants shifted against her green sneakers.  

            "CJ ...  I'm a..." CJ debated weather or not to tell her he was a Familiar Born, but a reject or should he just start with the creation of a new past and leave his roots like dust in the wind.  "...Prototype."  The word came out with a cough in the process, which scared the girl, but given how he was shivering Brittany was more concerned about him dying on her.  

            "Listen I'll see if I can get you out of here and get you to the infirmary."  Brittany said as she shifted around to get up, but CJ brought an arm out to stop her.  

            "Don't..." He said as he tried his best to pull himself up.  "I want to get sober on my own terms.  I want to show those Familiars that all the pain they put me through, all the torture, all the experiments after they had captured me those two times.  They have created a person that will not rest until they pay for their crimes."  He said making his own declaration to the world but Brittany realized that CJ had been through a lot.  

            "CJ, the Familiar's captured you?"  Brittany said realizing that he was some deep cover operative or that they had caught him right after the Manticore fire.  

            "Yes they did, but what I learned from what they were up to says that the WarBride is the key?"  CJ said to Brittany, as she looked at him some and realized something; he was the one that had saved her and the others that had been captured by White's crew when the Thermal scanners started to be used prior to the Siege.

            "CJ that first time that you escaped?"  Brittany said looking at him more closely.  "Did you help Max in an escape from White's compound?"   

            "Yes I did, I beat the crap out of White to free WarBride, to free Max."  CJ said as George the snake started to stick his head out from under the blanket for some more air.  

            "...And George your snake is he something that you picked up while you were on the run?"  Brittany said as CJ stroked the snake's head.  

            "Yes, I kinda snagged him when I broke of out the Familiars loony bin before coming here."  CJ said as Brittany leaned over and touched the snake.  This was the snake the Familiars used to grow and cultivate their virus in.  A living tissue host was needed to grow the disease in, a disease that if the Familiars were successful would decimate the human race.  Now it was in the hands of the Transgenics and they wound find a way to use this snake against their enemies.  

            "So CJ..." Brittany said sitting back down on the floor next to CJ, "You said that you were caught another time, how did you escape that time."  Brittany said looking at CJ as she started to become attracted to his scruffy appearance and strength of character.  

            "All I remember considering that I was drugged to the gills at the time was that this girl showed up in a dream or I think it was a dream and entered by body and transferred some of her skills to me and jumped around with her friend in front of me to guide me out of the place I was being held at.  For the next few days things were kinda a blur as I worked my way back here."   CJ said as he kinda tried to remember more.  Brittany reached over and touched his cheek with her hand and felt the heat from his body as he started to sweat off and on sometimes slurring his words.  

            "That was when Max and Logan went and brought you back here."  Brittany said getting closer to him as he nodded in agreement.  

            "So what's your story, you said that you were hot or something like that?"  CJ said trying his best to turn his head so he could better see her.  

            "I said I was in Heat."  Brittany said as she put her hands in her face.  "My hormones are racing and I'm scared."  Brittany said, as she was about to start wailing in pain.  With that CJ pushed himself up off the floor and slid over to her and he hugged her.  

            "Easy there."  CJ said as he held on to her as she reached up and hugged him back.  He could feel the hot tears going down her face as if something bad had happened to her.  "Why don't you tell me why you are scared?"  CJ said as he could feel Brittany's hands feeling the back of his shirt.  

            "CJ the last time I was in heat near anyone, was when I was with my Breeding Partner...  Biggs."  Brittany started to sob on CJ's shoulder at this time.  "I loved him."  CJ just held her as her sobs came out like a tidal wave.  It felt like years till Brittany was able to speak again, but CJ knew about loss and this girl like him would have a long journey together as they rediscovered their humanity and sense of self.  

            "Easy, I'm not going anywhere even if I wanted to.  Tell me what happened to Biggs?"  With those words Brittany started to speak about her and Biggs being close as they were growing up inside of Manticore.  How the two of them had snuck behind the walls and learned about the others that were like them and different at the same time.  How the two of them had fallen in love and swore to become pare to 424's revolt against the system and for their own freedom.  She spoke about the sheer luck of becoming Biggs breeding partner right after the Genetics lab was blown up.  Then she talked about the night of the fire and of the fear of being thrust into a world she was unprepared for.  

            Brittany told about her learning at a walk in clinic after several fainting spells that she was with child.  She told of her hope and joy of having something of Biggs inside of her and finding Biggs alive here in Terminal City.  Then Brittany broke into another wave of tears and pain as she told about the Grand Mal seizure she went through and how she had lose her little baby girl.  

            "I just lay there and asked to touch the baby's body.  Knowing that she was in a better place and wouldn't be hunted like an animal."  Brittany said as she squeezed her hands hard into CJ's back ripping his shirt in the process.  Then she continued with her tale about loosing Biggs a few days later and how they were planning later that night to joining together and working on having another child considering that they would have more resources to ensure that the next one would live.  But she had lost that chance when those humans butcher Biggs and strung him up like an animal killed on a hunt.  With that she brought up her wrists and showed the faint marks on her wrists of where she tried to commit suicide and failed due to an X7 walking in and knocking her to her knees.  That wouldn't be her only suicide attempt. That was when she told CJ that she was captured by White's men and was being prepared for shipment to the holding facility.  Part of her wanted it all to end.  All that changed when Max came to the rescue.  This was when CJ spoke up to tell his side of the story of the events of that night.  

            "Brittany, I was with Max when she broke you guys out of there."  CJ said as Brittany looked at him with fear and with hatred.  

            "You were with Max when you saved us?"  Brittany said, as she felt repulsed and scared.  

            "Yes, I bought Max the time she needed to escape with you all in the transport van."  CJ said as another seizure took hold and he grabbed onto Brittany like crazy.  "I knew she would lead you all to freedom."  He said gritting the words through his teeth.  "Now I must survive and learn to live again."  A spasm ripped through his body and Brittany held on to him to prevent him from falling.  "Brittany I know that you have been though a lot but so have I, we are both going to get through this."  CJ said as the two of them looked into each other's eyes and they understood in that moment that they would have to bond as people so that they could get their souls back.  "You make me a deal that if one falls the other will help them get up.  Okay.  Now will you help me get clean and I'll help you through the tough times."  Those words CJ said sunk into Brittany's head as she helped him up and moved him over to where his bed roll was under the lab table and she curled up next to him and fell asleep through out the next two days Brittany and CJ got to know each other as friends and Brittany for the first time in her life would fall in love with a man not due to him being a man but as a person who would make sure that if she fell that he would bring her back up into the light as he helped her keep her pants on during the two days of her Heat Cycle.  Somewhere out there Biggs and her baby girl had sent her an angel for her salvation and for CJ it was be the same for him to get his life back.  

***

            It was the last day of the last week of October and despair what had happened over the last few weeks several members of the Transgenic and Human communities needed to unwind and there was going to be a Halloween party thrown at the UFO Bar and Grill.  The place had been established back in the nineties as a sort of theme restaurant for UFO and conspiracy buffs.  There were on the wall tons of pictures of UFOs including a rolling video of various UFO sightings including one of the UFO sighted in the day following the fire.  That kept repeating, "go to retrieval point and await future orders."  Then the same image showed a different sequence of flashed that said "Escape and Evade and go to ground, disregard any future transmission, Command compromised."  There was the occasional chuckle from the crowd but for a few of the Transgenics it brought back painful memories of that night and the friends they had lost.  For Melfina moving through the crowd in her Lady Chimera Costume made from a one piece red uni-tard body suit, a White corset with red spirals on the breasts, and a pair of white flowing sleeves from a trashed nightgown she had found.  Dressing as her alter ego made her feel free.  Though after she had seen Max wearing an Egyptian style of dress and a cheesy black cat mask that made her look like some ancient goddess.  Max had said she was going as the Egyptian goddess Bast and the costume expressed a ton of ethnic power and sexuality as she walked into the room.   Though when Asha walked out in her skimpy Blue fairy costume with all the eye glitter, high heels and blue eyeliner on her eyes.  The short cut nightgown she wore made you wonder is she was wearing any underwear under that.  Between Asha and Max you wondered who was going to get kinky that night with their boyfriend.  

            Mel thought the get well soon card for Hottie and Killer had taken the tension away for many and let them unwind from the last few days of high stress.  For some of the Transgenic at the party they were running at high alert fearing another attack or assault to occur.  That was when Melfina saw the guy, a very cutie X-Series Male who looked like he was an younger X5 or probably an older X6 and boy did he have the right parts in the right place and he had a nice elegant Barcode on his neck under that green fatigue jacket and blue jeans.  That was when every hormone in her body kicked in and she decided to check him out.    

            "Hi there..." Melfina said as she slid into the seat next to him at the bar.  The guy turned in her direction and said Hi back and Melfina was blushing.  

            "Um, my name is Melfina."  Mel said as she started to take in a whiff of this guy's scent. 

            "Armond..." the guy said as she started to soak him in with her eyes.  That was when the guy brought his hand up to her mouth and bushed something moist away.  "Um you're drooling."  Mel snapped out of her trance just long enough to touch her face and feel the drool from her mouth.  

            "Oh, shit...." Melfina said as she quickly went for a paper napkin blotted at her face to soak up the drool coming from her face.  "Listen I'm a bit more in control of myself."  Melfina said as she looked up in embarrassment.  And Armond got another napkin for her and started to dab on her cheek some.  

            "Listen, I know that I'm hot but I'm not "That" Hot."  Armond said as he touched her hand.  

            "Sorry, I just never met another so hot looking Transgenic before."  Melfina said as she started to feel the roughness of his hand.  

            "Yeah, I mean after I heard about that guy and his Transgenic girlfriend getting hurt, I started to think about how many mixed couples are walking around."  Armond said as Mel started to take in this information.  

            "Yeah, Killer and Hottie are real nice people, but I feel that they understand the risks they are taking in taking their relationship to the next level.  I mean I would be scared shitless having people wonder if I was dating a guy due to looks or the fact his was genetically compatible."  Melfina said as she tried to shift her thoughts away from her hormones and to the logical center of her brain.  

            "Yeah, relationships tend to scare some people; I mean you are dealing with the entire commitment type of thing.  Before you get to the point of what species you are."  Armond said as he reached over to take a swig of his soda before him.  

            "Yeah, I mean I get scared around other members of different species.  I mean I'm still creped out by guys when they touch me.  I feel like I have no free will of my own and I'm running on some sort of automatic pilot."  Melfina said as she looked at her hand that Armond had touched earlier.  

            "Listen, Melfina I know that this is a little strange for you but how about we get to know each other better.  I mean..." Armond said as he shuffled into Mel's hormone glazed eyes.  

            "Yes...  "  Melfina said to this guy as every higher logic function fell to the wayside as her hormones decided to take over her body.  

            "So you want to go back to my place?"  Armond said as Mel just moved over and started to nuzzle on his neck.  

            "Mind that I take a shower at your place?"  Melfina said as she stared to lean on him and take in his scent.  

            "Okay, so lets get out of here."  Armond said as he and Melfina went for the door of the Bar and Grill.  As the hours passed Melfina and Armond got to his place and decided to move into the bathroom to take a shower, but as they stripped off their clothing and got into the shower to explore each other's bodies an event happened that slammed Melfina back into reality.  Armond's fingers went for the line of skin right behind Melfina's ears.  

            "Hey What's this?  Part of your costume?"  Armond said as he reached over and pinched down hard the on the tissue that made up her gills and tried to pull it off.  Melfina reacted with a scream as she pulled away from Armond as she was massaging the back of his neck where his barcode was with her hand.  

            "Ouch!!!   That hurt!"  Melfina said moving one her hands to rub her Gill on her head as Armond looked at her wondering what he had touched that had hurt her so much.  

            "Hey I thought that was part of your costume."  Armond said moving closer to her again to look at the damage he had inadvertently done to her.  

            "Yeah, well when they make you a X-Series Custom you have to keep an eye out on the few additions they made to you."  Melfina said as she looked up into Armond's eyes as he slowly caressed the folds of Skin that held her water gills.  

            "Whoa, I knew that Manticore cooked up some weird stuff, but they created Transgenics with gill?"  Armond said as he caressed her gills with the tip of his finger, as Melfina got weak in the knees as she started to lean forward on him and she started to rub the back of his neck more and more feeling the small hairs on the back of his wet neck feel like rough fibers of grass.  That was until something greasy started to stick to her fingers.  It felt like oil, but it took a moment for Mel to sense something wrong as most of Armond's body order started to sink in.  With that Mel removed her hand to see a black substance on her hand and she moved around to see the back of his neck.  What she saw shook her to her core.  The barcode on the back of his neck was washing off.  

            With the look of a deer stuck in the middle of an on coming truck's headlights in the middle of the night, Melfina started to back out of the shower in fear as she started to shiver in fear through the shower curtain.  

            "You're an Ordinary????"  Melfina said as her water dripped body stated to grow goose bumps by the pound.  Armond realized that whatever she was scared of him.  Then Melfina got so scared she let out a shock of electricity from her electrostatic muscle bundles in her body and Armond went flying as he got out of the shower and he got flung across the bathroom from the discharge.  The force of the charge was enough to knock the wind out of him.  Mel moved over and checked his neck to check to see if there was a pulse and found one.  Then Mel backed out of the room and started grabbing her clothes and headed out of the door with the bundle held tight to her chest as the sound of rain started falling outside.  Armond opened his eyes long enough to see a very scared Melfina running naked out of the door the look of fear on her face showed that she was not just terrified of him; She was white as a sheet.  

            Armond would days later find out the truth that Melfina wasn't scared of where the situation was going, she was scared of Ordinaries lying and hurting her in the process.  

***

            Melfina ran through the streets of Seattle occasionally stopping for a moment to get some clothes on in the poring rain.  It took her an hour on foot to get to Max and Cindy's apartment and by then her clothes were soaking wet from the rain.  The rectangular plywood door that had the simple patter of numbers that were pieced together from plastic, wood, brass and glowing florescent magic marker.  Melfina was scared out of her wits as she shook as her body tried its best to keep her warm.  Mel started to pound on the door with the type of Thud, Thud, Thud, which sounded like an eight hundred pound gorilla instead of a small four-foot eight teenage girl.   It took forty forevers till Cindy came to open the door wearing nothing but a bathrobe.   

            When Cindy got a look at who was standing soaked to the bone shaking and scared out of her wits before her.

            "Melfina, dear come on in, you look like you are about to freeze to death out here."  Cindy said as Melfina moved into the doorway and just hugged Cindy like she had become a vital lifeline to reality.  

            "I'm scared..." Melfina said as Cindy walked her in as she was still clenched to her chest and closed the door behind her.  

            "Melfina, it's going to be okay, I'm not going to leave."  Cindy said as they moved over the couch and sat down as Mel pulled back far enough to show she was crying.  

            "I was with a guy and he...  he..." Mel wasn't able to finish the sentence as she broke down and curled up in Cindy's lap pulling a good chunk of the robe into her hands leaving a lot of Cindy's upper body exposed.  All Cindy could do was to comfort the young Transgenic by stroking her hair and let a good chunk of the emotional baggage come out.  Cindy just waited as Melfina's body heaved in sadness and pain.  Whatever happened to his girl was scary enough that she had become frightened, and for a Transgenic it took a lot to shake one up as badly as Melfina had been at the door.  

            "It's going to be okay."  Cindy said as she stroked through Mel's hair and Melfina started to calm down enough that she pulled her head up to look at Cindy.  

            "Cindy, I think I hurt someone tonight."  Melfina said as Cindy looked at her as Mel started to tell the tale of the events of the how she wound up at Cindy and Max's place.  The cute guy at the party, the heading to his place to have some fun together.  The shower scene.  Then Mel laid out the last part of where during the shower she learned that the guy was human and the guy learned she was a Transgenic.  The entire thing about her getting spooked and hitting him by accident through the wet floor with her powers and her fleeing afterwards made Cindy ask Melfina about where the guy lived at.  The details came out about the location, sector and building structure and Cindy moved over to where the wireless phone that she and Max used and she dialed up Logan and told them to use his resourced to find out if a guy who had been hit by a girl with an electrical shock at the location Mel told her about and Logan said that he would check into it.  Then Cindy looked over at Melfina who was curled up into the fetal ball she went into whenever something bad had happened to her to protect herself.

            "Melfina, Logan and Max are going to check to see if the guy that scared you is okay."  Cindy said as she moved over and with one of her hands and started to stroke the side of Melfina's face.  "Mel, you can crash here for awhile."  The sadness in Mel's eyes stated to open up as Cindy understood some of the trauma she had endured sexually.  Mel had gone into heat at work and nearly went Nympho on Normal and now with the guy and the shower scene.  Cindy never had this much trouble with exploring her sexuality.  The worse thing that Cindy had to deal with was that she had to tell her parents that she was homosexual and preferred member of her own sex instead of boys.  Heck Cindy learned about how to deal with her fist kiss, her first sexual experience and the first time she and her first love Diamond lay in bed naked learned how to please each other's nude body.   

            "Listen Melfina...  I'll see if I can get you some of Max's stuff to get into and you can crash in her bed for the night."  Cindy said getting up from the couch and straightening and pulling up tight her bathrobe and with her hand, she moved over and helped Melfina up and led her to Max's room and pulled some of Max's sweats out of her draw and a very baggy t-shirt out of Laundry and handed it to Melfina.  

            "Here Mel, I hope that some of this stuff will be comfortable for you?"  Cindy said as Mel accepted the clothing and started to strip out of the damp costume she was in.  Cindy was surprised at how perfectly muscled Melfina's body as given her size as Mel peeled off the body contouring top she had on.  For a X-series she looked like an athlete in comparison to some of the forms she had seen in the Terminal City bathhouse.  But when Mel sat down on the bed to pull the pants of the costume off; Cindy noticed that Mel had several cuts and burns on her feet bare.

            "Melfina."  Cindy said as she knelt down on the floor to examine Mel's feet.  "I'll go and get you some antiseptic and bandages out of the bathroom to deal with those cuts on your feet."  Melfina crossed one of her legs onto her knee and looked at the various assfalt rock cuts on her foot and the reddish burns on the sides and along her toes which she carefully poked at with her finger to see how much nerve damage she had situated from the run from Armond's place to Cindy's.

            "Um, Okay..." Melfina said as she sat there on the bed.  The rain was pattering against the window and Melfina was drawn back to her memories of Manticore and listening to the rain pat against the windows of the barracks.  The way that she and the other members of her unit would sneak into each others beds and under the covers tell stories about the pictures in the stars.  That was when she sensed someone standing in the doorway.  It was a big boned, dark haired Rubensuqe woman who looked either Russian or from Eastern Europe wearing nothing but a wrapped blanket around her nude body.

            "Um...  Hi."  The woman said as Mel lost in her thoughts didn't notice her.  It wasn't until Cindy came back with an armful of Bandages and Antiseptic that Mel snapped back to reality and looked at Cindy with sadness.  

            "Hey, Cindy..." Melfina said as Cindy dampened a paper towel and dabbed at her wounds.  "I miss the light soft rain from growing up upstate.  The rain had the smell of life."  Melfina said as occasionally wincing in pain.  

            "Sugar, I grew up in the city and the closets thing we have to rain filled with life is when it came from the sewage plant."  Cindy said as she started to wrap Mel's feet in the gauze so that no blood infections would get into her feet.  

            "Yeah.  I love the rain."  Melfina said as she started to drift off to sleep and fall onto her side.  Cindy moved over and pulled back the sheet of Max's bed an laid it over Melfina's small body and tucker the young Transgenic's feet under the covers which the Transgenic girl started to burrow into and sleep soundly in as the events of the night disappeared with the ticks of the clock.  

            "Sleep tight Shocky.  I hope that your next experience with the other sex turns out better than this one."  Cindy said as she moved over to her girlfriend and closed the drapes to the room so that Mel could sleep in peace.  

            "Cindy, who is that girl?"  The Rubeneque girl said as she moved with Cindy back to their room.  

            "Nanushka, the girl in Max's room is one of my coworkers and friends."  Cindy said as they went through the doorway and moving back to the bed.  

            "What happened to her?  How did she get those burns on her feet?"  Nanushka said as she fluffed out the large comforter she had covered her body with and laid down next to Cindy as she untied her bathrobe and snuggled under the sheet with her female lover spooning her in the process.  

            "She had a bad experience with a guy she went home with and he spooked her even before they got to third base due to a bad experience with her past."  Cindy said as she locked hands with Nanushka and rested in the soft crease of the neck of her love. "I'll tell you more about it in the morning."  Cindy said going to asleep and Nan wondered as she drifted off to sleep.  Was Melfina human or Transgenic.  The answer would come with the dawning of a new day.  

***

TBC

Please Read and Review for me okay, I like the responses that you have all been sending me.  

Note:  The UFO Bar And Grill is an actual Restaurant in the Seattle area.  I heard it on a Seattle radio station that I was checking out on the web.  That was a few years and I don't know if it is still open but the name just stuck in my mind.  So I apologize for anyone that has been there and to the owners for using the name.  

***


	4. Chapter 4: Killers, Cults, Murder and a...

DARK ANGEL 2022: Manticore Aftermath: (HDCC 2)

By Shannon Hearn

The characters of Dark Angel are owned by Twentieth Century Fox Television and Cameron Eglee productions. All other characters are of my creation.

Sorry about not taking so long, I have three stories in progress so I am posting this in multiple parts, Part 1 is the intro to this saga, and Part 2 will introduce more background material and the events coming up for Max and the Gang.

Well on with the story.

Parental advisory: This chapter is rated "R" due to it containing mild sexual content and nudity.

* * *

Chapter 4: Killers, Cults, Murder and a dude name Phil (I'm not joking. A dude named Phil). Part 1, The Long night

Armond Le Fey lay in his hospital room looking at the ceiling postulating the events of his life. That Transgenic girl he had taken home with him was scared out of her wits. One moment she thought that he was a fellow Transgenic and with the shower water washing the barcode stamp off the back of his neck. The look in her eyes was of sheer terror, and then he turned his head to look at the TV in the room.

On it was playing a news clip of a senatorial hearing about Transgenics and Transgenic rights. It was pretty bland stuff then it swapped to excerpts of an assault of a couple. One human the other Transgenic, the issues came up about why the attack happened, then he heard two of the names of he people who were attacked by members of a group called "Meant Not to Be." Then it hit him through his Swiss cheesed brain. Those were the names on the card that was being passed around.

"Oh, Shit." Armond said as he digesting the information in his head. "That's why she freaked." That was when a guy wearing a doctor's medical jacket a pair of green surgical smocks and a days old growth of beard which went with his small speckles; sat down next to him and checked his pulse.

"Who freaked?" The guy said as he looked over the Armond's chart. Armond turned to look at the guy and took a deep breath and decided to tell the Doctor his story.

"Oh some girl I scared the crap out of." Armond said as he sighed. "I mean its Halloween, I should have known that the Transgenics would have been out. But Wow. I heard that those X-series Chicks were hot. But this one was cute." Armond said thinking about Mel's cute face.

"I thought she was hot about me, but I think she thought that I was one of her fellow Transgenics." The doctor just sat there and listened as he slowly becomes more captivated by the events.

"I mean her being a Transgenic didn't put me off. I thought it was fascinating; I mean the girl had gills behind her ears. I mean I think she thought me finding them kinda turner her on. But that was around the time that the ink that I used to make a barcode tattoo with decided to wash off." With those words Armond shifted some in the bed to prop himself up some more as he noticed that he was sliding down more into the bed.

"So what happened after your feau barcode came off?" The Doctor said as he started to look more inquisitive of how Armond wound up there.

"She freaked. And I do mean freaked; she gave me the look that a deer gives before it gets hit by a semi-truck as it goes down a highway at night. She was scared of me. I mean little old me. She acted like I was going to eat her. So I decided to say 'I'm not going to hurt you' as I get out of the Shower after she jumped out in fear. Then Wap." Armond said as he slapped his hands together suddenly to express how he wound up in the hospital. "She must have knocked my hairdryer into the puddle of water on the floor from the shower and I got hit from the shock."

"Then you wake up here." The doctor said as Armond looked at him some more. Where had he seen this guy before it was if he could almost place the face but didn't remember where he had seen it.

"Yeah, well someone had called the paramedics and told them where I was at. I think it was Mel?" Armond said remembering a little of seeing Melfina's nude frame hesitantly standing over his body checking him for a pulse as he let out a moan, which probably scared her more as she fled out of the door in fear grabbing her stuff on the way out.

"Your not sure, it was her that called the paramedics in?" The doctor said as Armond thought for a moment as he tried to replay the events of his last few moments of consciousness.

"Yeah, I'm not sure." Armond said as he took a deep breath and kept thinking about the fear he saw in Melfina's eyes. "But I think that me being human is what scared her. What event in her life would have affected her that way?" Armond said as he leaned and just slid down into the bed.

"Well given that most Transgenics the night of the fire probably had a few run-ins with the guys who actually torched the place and lost friends in the process. I think that we as the Human race have a lot to make up for, for our behavior to our own creations and to ourselves." The doctor said as Armond just laid back and sighed.

"Yeah, I probably brought back some bad memories of that place. I mean for all she knew, I was probably going to eat her in one gulp or carve her up into little pieces." Armond said as he took one of his hands and scratched under his nose.

"Probably she did... Probably she did." The doctor said as he got up and left the room. Armond turned to see the guy leave and decided to ask him a question.

"Hey man. What's your name?" Armond said to the doctor. The doctor stopped in his path and turned towards him.

"Logan." The scruffy doctor said as he started his way out of the door, "Listen I have another patient to check up on and I think she is in worse shape than you due to her being through a traumatic incident in the last few hours." He said as he headed out the door and down the hall.

"Hey will you let me know how she is?" Armond said not knowing if Logan heard his words. Armond was left there with the feeling that explaining things to Mel would not so much make her feel better but open up some old wounds that he was afraid to touch.

* * *

Melfina lay in bed with the sheets over her head scared to see the new day before her. The biggest thing that scared her was that her feet were itching. The images of the night before played again and again in her mind. Armond, the really hot looking Transgenic from last night's Halloween party was actually an Ordinary. She could still feel the way that his hands caressed her nude body. The electricity that was between them was erotic. She thought that she would never put her clothes on again as she wanted his manhood to break her sex hymen in her loins. That was about the time he found her gills and she finding out that his Barcode was fake.

All she could remember was being scared as she jumped out of the shower to get some distance from him. She just wanted to digest the situation she was in. That was when Armond got out of the shower and between the Adrenaline running through her system and the fear she let out an electrical shock to make sure he didn't touch her. But between the trail of water she left on the floor getting away from Armond and the water falling on the floor from his shower. The distance discharge she put out went from her to the floor, through the water and into him with enough force to send him flying backwards. Between being scared and fearing that she might have killed him. She didn't know what to do, so she checked his pulse and when she felt a heart beat she got her clothes and ran. She was torn over, should she have stayed and called the paramedics instead of running here to Original Cindy's. That was until she smelled cinnamon oatmeal that she decided to get out of Max's bed.

Mel pulled the covers off of her body and swung her legs over the side of Max's bed. She saw a gold Egyptian statue standing guard on the dresser and realized that it was probably a gift from Logan or something that she had stolen during her days as a thief. The most strange thing that she felt as her feet touched on the floor was that her feet were bandaged then she realized as she reached down and undid some of the bandages that she noticed some redness on her feet. She had been in water when she let out her defensive electrical charge. She moved down and checked the damage on both of her feet. Between the running through the wet Seattle Streets and the burns from her Electrical discharge her feet looked like they had been through a lot. Then she looked up to see Cindy standing in the doorway.

"Well Shocky, if you want to know, the guy that you put in the hospital is going to be okay." Cindy said as looked at her like a scared cat.

"So Max knows about what happened?" Melfina said as she took her hands and put them to her face and started to look down at the ground.

"Yes she did Mel, you know that little defense mechanism you have could be considered if the guy ever pressed charges as a assault weapon. But he was more concerned that he had scared the crap out of you. So there is pretty much enough blame to go around for the both of you." Cindy said as Melfina started to cry as she worried more about her life. "I have some breakfast made. Aspen told me about what some of your comfort foods are and I made so Oatmeal, now why don't you come on out and have something to eat." Cindy said as Melfina moved over and scratched her feet and walked on out.

As Mel moved through the beaded curtain that offered Max some privacy from the rest of the apartment, she saw a woman who was standing there her large boned frame and long blond hair. Between her figure Mel started to remember that she was the woman standing in the doorway the previous night. Melfina was nervous as she came into the room and saw a woman with long fine blond hair that came halfway down her back. The well-rounded face showed that she was Eastern European but one of the features showed that the jaw line pointed that she was of Slavic Russian Ancestry. That and the body showed that she was muscular but had some of the insular form of a polar bear swimmer giving her a rounded form but not one that screamed that she was overweight, just with a Svelte curvy form that Cindy went for in the women she dated.

Mel didn't know whether this person was a threat or not, but Cindy motioned her over to the countermanded took her seat on one of the stools and sat down in front of a few bowls that Cindy had started to put a couple of scoops full of the sticky mixture into the bowl and Melfina looked around as she examined Cindy's lover.

"What's your name?" Melfina said as she examined the woman's blue eyes. The Blond pulled a few strands of hair way from her eye line and started to look at Mel with curiosity.

"Nanushka, but my friends call me Nan. What about you, what's your name?" The Russian blond said as Mel started to remember thought he haze of pain and fear from the previous night. The woman was standing in the doorway with a blanket wrapped around her and given that one of her legs was exposed almost all the way up to her love handles pointed out that she was nude. Mel leaned over and started to sniff her some at a distance and realized that Nanushka still had the scent of orgasmic secretions coming from her body from the previous night. She was Cindy's Life mate. So Mel was cautious about how to proceed around her, but letting Nanushka know her name wouldn't hurt.

"Melfina." Mel said, as she was a little nervous about the situation she was in. Nanushka acted as if she understood what Mel had been through the night before and didn't press.

"Melfina, that's an interesting name, where is it from?" Nanushka said attempting to break the ice without falling through it.

"Um, its Japanese." Melfina said as Cindy leaned over in her chair next to Mel and gave Mel a back scratch which Mel enjoyed as she let out a slight moan of gratification as Mel's defenses started to fall down and Cindy let her friend unwind from the nightmares from the previous night. Nanushka just looked at Mel for a moment and realized that given the stress she had gone through the night before had left Melfina tense and she decided to help Cindy out as well. Mel turned to thank Cindy for the back rub, but that was when Nanushka leaned over to scratch and rub Mel's shoulders to make her relax some more. That was when Nan noticed Melfina's barcode Tattoo and the sounds of a gulp could be heard.

"Nanushka, love what is it?" Cindy said as she scratched Mel's shoulder as she ate.

"Cindy... Is Mel... a... a..." Nanushka's hands were just shaking fearing that if she let go she would die. Cindy turned and took her mocha hand and placed it on Nan's. Melfina who was getting scared too made a loud gulp sound too.

"Yes Nan, Melfina is a Transgenic and right now she is probably more scared than you." Cindy said as she got off of her stool and moved over to Nanushka and took her lover's hands into her own and kissed the white skin of her hands.

"So Cindy your friend, she won't..." Nanushka said as she looked over at Mel who had stopped eating and started to bite the bottom of her lip looking more scared than Nanushka was. Cindy turned and looked back at Melfina and grinned comically at the situation.

"Nanushka, if I wanted her to I could tell her to get down on all fours and bark like a dog and she would do it. I have that much respect and position in the Transgenic community" Cindy said Melfina looked at her wondering if Cindy was ordering her to do what she said or it was some joke to break the tension between Cindy and her lover. So pretty much Melfina had her hands stroking along the hem of the shirt she was wearing and was waiting for the next thing to happen. Nanushka who was now looking at Melfina and how she was acting pointed that Mel was between of wanting to run and standing her ground. Cindy looked at Melfina and taking her hands from Nanushka's grip did the basic gestures to Mel for Standing Down and Threat Neutralized. Mel just got down from the stool and moved slowly by Cindy as Mel's toes just grabbed into the floor to get some extra traction in case she had to run away. Cindy raised her hand up and slowly went and put her hand into Melfina's hair and Mel started to pull away.

"Don't worry, I won't let her hurt you. " Cindy said and both Mel and Nanushka started to calm down as they started to examine the other with curiosity with their eyes.

"Are you sure?" The two females from different species said at the same time, then the two of them blushed in embarrassment. Cindy knew that it would take awhile but the ice was broken and for a time she knew that Nanushka would not be afraid of Mel and Melfina would be comfortable enough with situation that she wouldn't bolt out of the room. Melfina needed to talk about some of her "boy" problems and stating that she was still freaked about last night, having estrogen comfort Estrogen would be a nice thing. Heck, good old-fashioned girl talk would do the trick that drugs and years of therapy couldn't take care off.

Simple Friendship, and a whole lot of Oatmeal.

* * *

Around the city of Seattle issues about Transgenics and their rights as beings and as individuals was a hot topic of debate. From the corporate water cooler at some of the remaining businesses in the area, to the local pubs like that of Crash; The views of the world looked several ways, of the conservative right, the liberal left, and the middle of the road center. Right now Asha Copland Barlow was sitting at her favorite barstool and she was listening.

Within the last few hours she had started to get leads about an anti-Transgenic Group calling its self "Meant Not to Be." And this group had taken up much of the cause that Ames White had started and the "Honorable" Reverend Jerry Caldwell, the Tele-evangelist had taken up the flag for. Between old Jerry stating that Transgenics "Didn't have a soul" and "they were impure to the human gene pool", well jerks like that were the ones that supported the Spanish Inquisition. Sheesh, what people went through out of ignorance to make the world a safer place just turned her guts?

Right now Asha looked around and saw several leads about to put themselves forward, but a strange figure entered the bar. A scruffy man who looked like he was in his late twenties or probably his early thirties in age that was watching them. What made him stand out in the bar as that he as a bit wilder than the usual bunch that frequented Crash. But there was this air about him that made Asha think about this individual, he seemed wild, almost crazed look in his eyes of a person hunting something. That was when Asha started to pace around the bar as one of her contacts came in to speak with her.

"Asha," Her contact said as he pulled out a packet with several photos in it. "Well I have been doing some checking around about what Jerry Caldwell has been up to and despite his standard dissing on the Transgenic community and especially that of your pal 452, he has distanced himself from any one or anything that might connect him to being proactively dangerous or armed." Asha's contact said as he started to pull out some of the photos and displayed them to Asha.

"Now with several of the guys in the photos here are mainly flunkies that you would might say as disposable. Use once and never come into contact again." Her contact continued. "Now I have a ton of photos on this group and I was hoping that one of your Transgenic pals in Terminal City could do a rundown on these guys and see who I might want to follow for Eyes Only." the contact said as he pulled out several files of names, times and places that he had taken the photos at.

"Okay, I'll see what Grace can dig up on these guys." Asha said as she did a preliminary look at the file and noticed that her contact had done a ton of footwork. "Listen, I want you to lay low for the next few days and I'll get back to you with what I know. Eyes might want to call in a few of his friends in the law enforcement community to make sure that another Oklahoma City doesn't happen here in Seattle." Asha said as her contact got up and she handed him a safe house location as he left heading out of the bar. Asha kept her seat at the bar as she waited for a friend to show up. Alec but something told her that with all this increasing violence towards the Transgenic community she felt that she might become a target for retaliation due to her dating Alec and she had a Transgenic sister in Jondy, what was that girl up to in her old hometown of San Fran. That was when Alec arrived and her train of thought was broken as he said "Hi Asha."

"Um Hi Alec, so how was today?" Asha said as she shuffled the folder and photos from her contact into her book bag. That was when Asha's diary fell out onto the floor.

"Okay, considering that Normal has been onto me to teach Danni some more of the ropes at Jam Pony for the next few weeks." Alec said as he looked down on the floor to see the book lying there. "Um Asha one of your books fell on the floor." Alec said as he reached down and picked the book up off the floor and handed it to Asha. Asha took the book from him and looked at the cover for a second and realized that it was her diary.

"Yeah Alec," Asha said as she put the book back into her bag.

"Yeah Asha, the last time something fell out of your bag, it led to you finding out who sold you out to the cops." Alec said as he remembered the entire Brainaic incident.

"Yeah, right now I am more concerted with about the events that got Killer and Hottie in the hospital." Asha said as she and Alec headed out of the bar together. That was when the scruffy guy man started to follow them out. With a smooth move he reached into his jacket pocket and took out an old flight cap with a small-modified Lyrcra spy camera attached to it and put it on his head.

* * *

For Danni Guevara she definitely hated today. Between Alec showing her the ropes and the rest of the new job orientation stuff all she wanted was to spend some time with her guitar and write some music. It wasn't going to be, so later after her shift she walked into the loft that she shared with several other of her fellow Transgenics. She was not expecting to see her C.O. Domo doing dirty deed with the female Ohh-Ra leader Luna on the couch. The image of Luna's nude dark skin tiger Striped ass going up and down like a recoil-bolt of a fifty cal anti-tank rifle on rapid single shot bursts turned her guts. They could have at least done it in Domo's bedroom. But No they had to mark their sexual act on her couch, next to her Amp and her Electric Guitar.

Danni just was so upset that she screamed and Luna fell off of Domo's lap from being startled. She saw Domo quickly grab his shirt to cover his privates and Luna scrambled over and covered herself with the long green stripped skirt that she had been seen wearing earlier in the day.

"Danni your home early," Domo said as she stammered out in shock, partially out of embarrassment and being caught in an awkward situation.

"You two could have did it in your bedroom Domo, but you did it on my couch." Danni said as she dropped her book bag on the floor.

"Danni, it was just spur of the moment." Luna said as she got up off of the floor still covering herself. When Luna moved forward towards her so say sorry. Danni had grabbed her book bag and ran out of the apartment leaving the door open. That was over an hour ago.

Danni had spent the hour just walking in the Seattle night air lost in her thoughts. That was when she heard the sound of a fight and lawnmower or chainsaw being used.

In the mess she saw Alec handling several guys who looked like they were trying to mug him, but given his combat training and Extreme fighting ring experience he was dealing with the six or so guys attempting to beat him up. Asha looked like she was holding her own as well. But when two of the guys went flying from a third person helping to take down the thugs that she got involved. This guy was as strong or even stronger than Joshua. So two thoughts were going through her mind, was he a Transgenic or was he a Familiar. Quickly hitting the side of the alley wall with her foot, she went flying into the mêlée and took out two more muggers in the process. By the time all the attackers were on the ground, Danni noticed that strong Trench coat dude was turning down some lens attachment on his had and was taking several pictures of the fallen unconscious men.

"Um, thanks for helping out my friends." Danni said to the stranger as he continued to move forward then he quickly turned towards her.

"Max Girl, I know you told me to visit my Mom, but when I found this rig, it was Destiny al over again." The guy said as Danni gave him a look of "Okay... What planet are you from?'

"Well listen, I have to go now and it was nice meeting you." Danni said as she moved away and moved towards Alec and Asha.

"Listen thanks for helping us." Asha said as she Danni and Alec started to move away together.

"Listen Max, is it just me or when did you change your hair color." Trench coat said as he took a closer look at Danni. Danni just blushed for a moment realizing whom he was talking about.

"Um, listen. My name is Danni... I'm Max's kid sister." Danni said as Trench took in this information and looked closer at her face.

"Wow... Well listen, do you have the same powers as your sister?" Trench said as she got a full look at one of his hands and heard the sound of servos tweaking.

"Yeah, well not all of them. I don't have her more recent precognition powers, but everything else I got." Danni said as she looked at him some more. "Your name isn't Phil isn't it?" Trench's jaw hit the floor as if he was a superhero and you just realized someone found out who you were.

"Um, yeah..." Phil said sheepishly. "Listen your sister was a little upset after the entire flipping her bike incident and the photos I took of her."

"She never told me about the bike incident but the photos are another story." Danni said as Asha and Alec were watching this and wondering where did Max know this guy from? And what was Max doing in those photos and with whom?

"Well how is your sister doing?" Phil said as he started walking with her Alec and Asha out of the alley.

"Well she is doing fine after the entire going after the killers of her sister who happened to work at Manticore, being grabbed by Manticore, being shot by her clone, escaping from Manticore, freeing the freaks from fore said Manticore. Keeping the entire mutant community from making the five o'clock news. Was infected with a Genetically Specific DNA Targeted virus designed to kill her boyfriend Logan when they thought that he was Eyes Only. Her older Brother got turned into an Unstoppable Cyborg Killing Machine. Got stuck in Terminal City during the Siege. Faced down a Apocalyptic Doomsday cult and finally is planning of moving in with Logan as she is trying to get another roommate for her Nubian Queen Amazon Warrior best friend." Danni said as Phil stopped in his tracks.

"You're making up the part about the Amazon Warrior needing a roommate, right?" Phil said as Asha and Alec moved by.

"Nope." Asha said as they moved towards Alec's convertible. "Trust me, Cindy could rip the balls off of a seven foot talk werewolf and not bat an eye doing it."

"So, we are going to Logan's Penthouse?" Phil said as he climbed into the back seat next to Danni.

"Well, Logan is staying at Joshua's old pad given that White nuked Logan's old place to hell and back." Alec said as he started the engine as they pulled out.

"And I thought I had a weirder year." Phil said as he looked up at the night sky.

* * *

Joshua was walking from his subterranean entrance from Terminal City to the Iconographic Gallery. Joshua knew that he had to knock on the window right after he called his friend Rita on her office phone given that she worked after hours sorting through her new acquisitions. Tonight Joshua wanted to talk with her about him selling his art again.

As he go to the front of the galleries main entrance he pulled out the cell phone that Max had given him to use. This time Joshua ha more batteries with him incase the one in the unit went dead. That is what happened the day when he met Gem and Dalton. But now he was putting in the numbers into the phone and hitting send.

"Rita. It is Joshua, could you come and door and let me in." Joshua said as he listened to the shone and heard some stress in Rita's voice. The type you hear after someone has cried for a long time.

"Joshua, I'm glad you are ere. I'll be there in a moment." Rita said as she slowly put down the receiver. Joshua felt that there was something wrong and his gut told him so. When Rita opened the door he saw that she was a black dress and her eye line was running. Rita had been crying and when Joshua moved forward she put her arms around him and she started to cry heavily on his sweatshirt.

"Rita. Are you okay?" Joshua said as he put his arms around her.

"Joshua... I just a good friend of mine... " Rita said as she started to choke back the pain she had. A pain Joshua knew al too well after the loss of his friend Annie.

"Joshua is here Rita, and I will stay until you fell okay." Joshua said as Rita to him inside of the Gallery, which had several black wreaths and flowers around a blown up picture of an Ordinary male in his late twenties or early thirties. Rita was distraught as she moved past several tapes of what looked like to be a party, but given how Rita had been behaving she was sad. What type of celebration celebrated death? Then he remembered about a ritual he had read about one of his books. This was a Wake for the person who portrait was set up in the center of wreaths.

"Sorry Joshua... I have been through a lot in the last few days." Rita said as she shifted through several dirty plats on a nearby table as she started to stack them and place them into a large garbage bin as if the labor was her way to allow her to forget about the pain she felt. That was when Joshua moved over and touched her shoulders.

"Rita, Tell me about your friend." Joshua said as Rita turned and moved towards one of her chairs and sat slash collapsed into it. It took her a moment to collect herself as she talked about one of the artists that she had become close to and how his death had left the taste of that it wasn't a suicide but murder. The more Rita told Joshua the more Joshua felt that he should learn more about the last days of Sebastian Smith. But the first thing that he felt that he needed to do was make sure that Rita felt safe. That was when he decided to have Rita come with him to Terminal City and stay the night at his place. It was about time she met his new muse and her little angel that had given him a new lease on life.

* * *

San stood on the precipice of an old office building in Terminal City, her black paints and White long sleeved t-shirt showed off her petite Transgenic X6 Ohh-Ra form. The dark red tiger marking on her face and brown eyes that glowed green in the night air made her look like some ancient tribal sentry.

She smelled something in the air that caught her attention. Then quickly San pulled out her collapsible spear and swung it back and forth to deploy its full length as the foot long shoe polished darkened blade on the tip blended into the darkness of the human night. Then with her night vision she saw several individuals running for the fence and climbing over it with the grace of a bull in a china shop. That was when she got on the comm. unit collar she had wrapped around her neck and called command.

"Luke, we have intruders coming through the south perimeter fence of TC." San said as she used her Hawk's vision to count the number of individuals five, no wait six Ordinaries. Four males, two females. Given the dress of the females, probably adolescents out on a dare.

Picking up her Gray, Blue and White poncho and tactical face mask she blurred off of the rooftop to stop the intruders after she found a angular pole nearby and she slid down it to the next roof and towards the roof access door which she through.

This was going to be an interesting night in Terminal City for both the Transgenics and the six young Humans.

* * *

Riven Graaff was running through Terminal City. If you said that he would be crazy enough to do this on a dare, just to impress some girl, well he was in a way. The idea was simple; see who could get through Terminal City the fastest without being caught by the Freaks.

The pounding of his feet against the pavement with himself and five of his friends he could clearly see that no one was around to stop them. That was when his pal Chris ran into something and was creamed to the ground by an unseen force that stopped dead in his tracks as he fell to the ground. Riven looked as his friend Chris shook the cobwebs from his head as right before them the unseen form started to shimmer and right before them stood a figure. The guy looked human, which meant he was probably X-Series, but nowhere did he hear about Transgenics being able to become invisible.

"Hey, Kids. You know you all shouldn't be here." The man said as he stroked his chin with a day old growth of beard on his face as he leaned down to pull Chris off of the ground. Chris just looked stunned as he punched the sleeve the Invisa-dude's white Denim jacket.

"Hey man, get your hands off of me. I can get up myself." Chris said as she shifted around from the Transgenic's grip.

"Yeah, well all you kids better get out of here. There are some in here who do not like folks intruding in on their space." The Transgenic said as Riven looked around and noticed a sign saying Occidental Street with that several of his friends decided to turn back and start running in the opposite direction when a panther man wearing a black covert ops jacket and blue jeans with red high tops, a blond Canine woman who had curly locks, a green tank top that looked like she wasn't wearing a bra underneath covered by a felt lumberjack shirt and blue baggy jump pants. It wasn't the fact she looked like an animal it was the very large freaking shotgun she had in her hands that she just coked and chambered.

"Kids' I have in this shotgun several jelly filled beanbag rounds." The dog girl said as she looked at the kids. "I don't want to use them but I am asking you to leave the way you came." The feeling she put off was that she wanted things to be as diplomacy as possible.

"Listen man, all we want to do is see who can get to the other side of Terminal City." Carol one of the girls that had come with Riven.

"Yeah well you are about to run into the center of the toxic mess of the Chemical spill." The panther said as a figure whose form was concealed under a gray urban camouflage poncho and an armored facemask.

"Hey Wes." The Cloaked figure said in a female voice that sounded like a really pissed off Tomboy. "If they want to have their skin start to melt off their bodies, then it is fine with me."

"San, you know that we have taken some effort to get rid of that flesh eating mold." The Dog girl said as something in Riven's head started to kick in and he ran into one of the buildings scared leaving his friends as he picked his own path.

"Command one of the kids decided to make a run, he's heading into the building five on Occidental Street." Invisa-dude said into some collar mic that he had around his neck.

* * *

Reice was heading out of the medical bay and she felt that despite the fact she was an X7, she was developing into an adolescent female. She was learning that despite all her engrained training and programming, her body had other things in mind. Between the development of her breasts that started to expand out of her once flat chest and her first minstrel bleed; she felt that her body wasn't her's any more.

She could remember that right after the Siege of TC that she was in the showers alone and was cleaning herself and found a handful of blood from between her legs. This wasn't blood from a combat injury it was coming from inside of her. She didn't know what was happening and her comm. unit was in the lockers. The thought going through her head was she needed to get medical attention or that she was flawed and would be destroyed like X7-452 had been. That was when she slammed into a large female X-series whose had mocha colored skin and brown curly hair. Reice's hands were covered in blood and the look on her face was of pure fear. The dark skinned female looked at Reice's hands and saw where the blood was coming from on her slowly turning red towel wrapped frame and looked at the scared girl with understanding as if the same experience had happened to her.

"First Mistral bleed, little one." The female said with a thick urban accent. "Original Cindy has been there. It scared the living daylights out of me." She said as she escorted Reice to one of changing benches and sat her down. Cindy moved over and reached into one of the lockers and covered her in a towel unafraid that Reice had a pair of wings coming out of her back. Reice didn't realize that she was completely exposed on her back, but given how scared she was, this older X-series understood some of what she was going through.

"Original Cindy will help get you cleaned up and OC will show you how to use the things you will need to deal with your developing womanly development." And with that Cindy took out a box that said Tampons on the side.

For over an hour Reice learned that the blood she had coming out of her body was just her body's way to warm up its reproductive development. Cindy didn't see Reice as an X7, but as someone who like her had gone through this experience and had someone teach her the ways of being a woman. Between learning what to use a Tampon and Maxi-pad for, Reice learned that they necessarily did the same thing, but one functioned better for one set of clothing such as pants while the other worked well for dresses for the monthly flush of unused eggs from her ova.

Cindy just sat there and wiped the tears from Reice's face and just sat by her occasionally rubbing her shoulder with her free hand as she sat there in sweats, but it was the physical closeness that Reice started to understand that they despite all the genetic workups and modifications to their bodies, they were still human inside. The older generation teaching the younger about life lessons and stuff that wasn't taught in any manual or combat training course. A lesson that Reice and the rest of the Transgenic community had to learn the hard way. For the X7's it was the hardest due to their hive minds.

Though Cindy did says that Reice had a nice set of wings and asked what her favorite food was. Reice who was still a little nervous about using her new "slow" vocal cords around others said "I like peaches with salt on them." Cindy just grinned.

"You know you guys go from being adventurous, to moody, to pissy, and happy all in the space of a few days. But once you open up, it is hard to keep ya'll quite. Even after you ask about who is banging whom around the water cooler." Reice just grinned at the images and that grin was all Cindy needed to know Reice was going to be functional again.

"So do you have a name or should I just say number so and so." Cindy said stroking the hair out of Reice's face.

"Reice, X7-665, ma'am." Reice said as her voice cracked some from the tension and from her vocal cords not being used to casual conversation.

"Well why don't you finish getting cleaned up and we can talk some more." Cindy said as Reice was dressing. Cindy got a look at the bra she was putting on and made a suggestion that she should choose a smaller cup size so that she could make it easier for her to move and not have a sore chest while running, which Cindy said from experience. Reice had taken the advice to heart right after she had blurred from one side of Terminal City to the other and the tissue of the two fatty lobes ached and hurt in ways she couldn't even start to describe. Later that day she had gone with several other Transgenics on a supply run and purchased up to twenty sets of smaller cupped sixteen-hour bras and had been thankful for the advice.

Right now she was walking up the staircase from one of the lower levels so that she could get to her quarters and get some rest. That and she wanted to peel the bra off and put on a clean shirt. When they meant sixteen hours on the package, they meant sixteen hours. Her skin was itching especially around her wings and getting the garment off was the only way she could deal with the irritation.

Right as she was opening the door someone creamed into at full flat out speed. She and the person coming through the door were twisting and falling down the half of the flight of the stairs she had come up after the little jut that turned the stair case ninety degrees.

The impact of tumbling down the angular edges of concrete and polished stone with adhesive grips on the edges yanked at her clothes as the low light of the nighttime stairway made the blue of her hair and clothing blend into the darkness.

For moments that felt like an eternity for Reice as her body ached as if she had been hit by a large brown bear during a training session. She knew that she was laying on something given that she was at an off angle facing up. Her eyes attempted to clear the disorientation from her system as she started to move her head painfully around. The lump of cloth that made up her sweatshirt was diffidently going to be something she wanted gone. But it wasn't until she heard the moan that she turned her attention to where she lay.

Eyes glowing to take in all available light in the darkened space she was in, she turned to see what slash who she was laying on. That was when she saw him a figure that pushed all sense of her hive mind self to the wind. A male about her age, maybe a little older than her was lying strewn on the stairs. Messy dark hair that seemed to behave like it was a lion's mane, a thick flannel work shirt that looked it had seen better days. But it was his features that drew her in, so very angler and sharp like and obsidian blade, even though he had white Caucasian skin. If he was an X6 or an X7 all sense in her gut went numb as she started to think with parts of her body she didn't know about. Her stomach felt like she had live insects flying around inside and her knees gave the feeling that she had been injected with a local sedative in her legs.

She looked around some more to figure out how her body was placed and decided to roll off of him going down his legs realizing it was probably the only way she could get off of him given the angle she was on him.

As she shifted and rolled off of his body, she felt something wrong with one of his legs when she touched it. That was when the male she was on bolted up in pain and screamed in agony. Her reflexes kicked in as she spun around and leaped onto all fours off of him and landed near him. That was when she saw his eyes. They weren't glowing.

He was an intruder, an Ordinary. On most occasions she would have killed him where he lay, but something overrode all her programming and training. She crept forward as he gritted in pain from his leg. She looked down to see that his leg was at an unnatural angle; the fall had broken it that was when his eyes dilated enough that he must have seen a rough form of her or probably his hearing but he turned in her direction.

"Who's there?" He said gritting in pain as he reached an arm out. Reice just moved forwarded, and realized that being injured would mean that he would become a threat if she didn't tell him to stay still. The greater, the injury the larger the threat he became to her and to him self. So she decided to speak, but instead of her "Slow" vocal cords kicking in, her ultrasonic ones did and the sound that came out, even if he could hear it to some degree was somewhat similar to a high screeching sound.

"Get away from me I'm armed!" The male Ordinary said as he pointed his finger in such a way that it would look like a gun. But Reice thought it was humorous, so she decided to put her hand on his shoulder to let him know that she was there and not a threat but almost instinctively he thrust out his hand which landed on her chest causing her to fall backwards. Flinging a free hand her hand landed on the floor. That was when the door opened and at the top was an Ohh-Ra in an urban gilly suit standing with the door open with light flooding into the stairwell illuminating the two of them.

"You're a girl?" The male Ordinary said realizing that he had his hand planed right on Reice's breast, but the most embarrassing thing was that Reice's hand had landed right between the guy's legs. At the guy's crotch. When the two of them saw where their hands had landed the full-blown retraction and blushing had begun.

"Did I see what I think I saw the two of you doing down there, or was it my imagination?" The Ohh-Ra said as the two teenagers below just realized how sexually suggestive their positions they were in would be seen as.

"Um, Listen. I'm sorry about creaming into you?" The guy said to Reice, as all she could do was bite her lower lip in embarrassment.

"Yeah. Um. I believe that you have a broken leg." Reice said as he finally got a good look at her, short tomboyish blue hair and blue contact lens covered eyes.

"Yeah, I think it is broken." The guy said seeing his leg firmly in an unnatural position and wincing in pain as he leaned back against the stairs.

"We have injured down here?" Reice called up as the Ohh-Ra got on her comm. unit and contacted command.

"So what is your designation?" Reice said looking at this Ordinary before her.

"You mean my name? Well My name is Riven." The male said as Reice moved over and sat down by him on one of the steps. "What is your's?" He said wondering if Transgenics had names or they went by some screwy numbering system.

"My Designation is X7-665, but I am known by the name Reice." Reice said as she saw Riven brush a strand of hair from her face to reveal a bruise on her forehead.

"You know you look beautiful." Riven chucked some but he stopped when his leg started to hurt more. "Sorry about touching your breast." He said in pain as the door below opened up and several individuals carrying stretcher came up the lower flight of stairs.

"Yeah sorry about my hand landing near your crotch." Reice said as she started to blush some more.

"I think we are even for the fall and the "touching of each other"." Riven said as he noticed something more that Reice she took notice of and she did on him they were both having a flood of blood rushing to the surface of their faces.

"You know you are the first Ordinary my own age that I have met that wasn't under combat conditions." Reice said as he was being placed on the stretcher.

"So are you seeing anyone?" Riven said looking at the girl in blue.

"Yes I am seeing people... I see you and the people carrying you to medical." She said as they headed down the stairs and out the door.

"Is it just me or do you have a straight forward sense of humor." Riven said as she chucked so "Owe, My leg." He said as he reached over to grab his leg wincing in pain.

"Yeah, I have been said that I'm a little quirky, but you know that you have great endurance to stand up to the pain the way you have, you would make a worthy ally or mate if I was older." Reice said, looking at Riven. "Do you like Fruit?"

"Yeah I do, why are you ask?" Riven said as he turned toward Reice.

"The others around here say that I make a mean Fruit Salad." Reice said with questions looming in the air. How could one guy get a X7 to talk so much in so little time?

* * *

"Tell me again about the X7?" Max said looking at the computer monitor at Logan's Temporary base of operations at the old Sandeman house.

"Well you know those kids that decided to run through TC, well one of them creamed into a X7 and to make a long story short I think that the X7 one of the kids ran into has a crush on the guy." Darrien said over the video link.

"Well that is going to be interesting." Max said looking at the monitor as several officers moved around the command center along with several other medical personnel.

"Yeah, well Clemente heard about the mess and sent some men down." Darrien sad as an officer in the background moved into frame as a youth was sitting on a sofa being interrogated by a plains clothes officer.

"Yeah between that and the mess that is still sitting past Occidental Street that we have slowly been getting these supplies for to get it cleaned up, even in the sewers. But it isn't until we can get that firm to run the incinerators that we can get the process started." Dix said as he came into fame as near by a girl with blond hair and clothing that looked similar to Max's old roommate Kendra but several years younger.

"We're just glad that we got the kids before they ran into the sludge, some of their shoes are melting. But it is good that other than the kid with a broken leg that things went as well as they did." Derrien said continuing to look at the screen.

"Well I want to have patrols running around the perimeter as well I want to have a talk with the Council ASAP later tonight. It looks like we have to get an idea about security and working with the Ordinaries and the Police about setting up some rules about travel and security in TC." Max said as Logan put his hand on her shoulder.

"Max you knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, at least now you have some allies on the Police Department to help you out now." Logan said as Max put her hands to her head with understanding.

"I know but some kid running into an X7 is not something that I wanted to make the news." Max said understanding the implications of this event.

"Listen have the cops drop off the kids at the station and tell the parents that we will pay for any medical bills the kid has for any injuries he endured as a result of running into the X7. Okay." Max said with divinity in her voice. Derrien understood fully as he accepted the order from Max.

"Okay Max, I'll get the bill and pray that there won't be a lawsuit coming our way. Logan, give Eyes Only our regards."

"Will do Derrien." Logan said as Derrien signed off the video chat. Then there was a knock on the door. Max got up from Logan's computer desk and moved over to the door and looked through the colored glass of the door.

"Logan it's Alec. Mind that we come in." The voice said from behind the door.

Max leaned over to look through the door and saw Alec's smug face on the other side through the bumped colored glass.

"Hey Alec," Max said opening the door to see that along with Asha and Danni standing on the door step she saw a person she thought she would never see again, at least not without him seeing a therapist and his mother first.

"Phil..." Max said seeing the man who had allowed Logan to walk in his own way. "... I thought that I sent you to see your mother!!!!" The Flabbergasted Transgenic said as her jaw literally hit the floor.

"Yeah, Max I know that you sent me to see my mom, I visited with her and after spending a year with her and telling her, I decided to get a job at another storage place I found another Exo and it was Destiny all over again." Phil said as he made the mechanical wuring sound that she had become so affiliated with Logan's walking.

"So before coming back to Seattle; I knew that I got a lead on various trouble making mutants and I have been dealing with them." Phil said leaving Max and Logan wondering what he had done to them.

"So what did you do to the mutants?" Max said with worry.

"Well I learn that I wasn't the only one dealing with troublesome mutants." Phil said filling in the blanks. "I ran into this couple by the name of Syl and Krit and they said they were patrolling the mutant community in an attempt to make sure that their kind stayed out of trouble." With that Phil started to take a hard look at Max's features. "Max... Do you have a brother about a year younger than you are named Krit?"

"Yes I do. I kinda of recognized the names when you started to state some of the mutant stuff." Max said, "He is in the local area, how about the five of us sometime get together and talk over drinks." Max's offer going through Phil's head.

"So you heard through them that I was alive." Max said trying to fish out some more information.

"Yeah I did. The big thing was that you were dealing with renegade mutants in the Seattle area, but for the most part I have been tracking down this coven of True to life Vampires." Phil said going into his route on the Living dead and blood drinkers.

"So do you know the name of the Master Vampire?" Max said to Phil.

"Well the few times that I have been able to get some surveillance on him is that he goes by the name Marrow and he heavily mentions that he wants revenge on the 'Bitch the stabbed him in the chest'." When Phil said the name Max's blood ran hot with anger.

"Marrow, male Caucasian about six foot four, blond hair with a pony tail. Wears a long ankle length jacket. Carries around a vile that he serves up blood from his arm." Max said with an anger she had only unlashed on very few occasions, but when she did. War was declared with no prisoners.

"Yes, I do you know?" Phil said wondering how much she knew about this guy. "Have you crossed paths with him."

"Yes I have crossed passed paths with him. I'm the "Bitch that stabbed him in the chest."" Max said getting angrier by the minute.

"Okay... what did he do to piss you off so." Phil said.

"I grew up in the type of hell that Marrow made for those kids. I won't let it happen to anyone else." Max said with a coldness that scared even Asha and Alec. "Where is his ass!!!"

Phil realized that he had hit a nerve that no villain or Uber Bad guy would never dare touch on their watch.

Piss off Max.

* * *

Next:

Chapter 4: Killers, Cults, Murder and a dude name Phil (I'm not joking. A dude named Phil). Part 2, Favors called in

Chapter Note:

Reice's shower scene I kinda of Barrowed from the 1970's (Sissy Spasic) movie version of the Steven King novel Carrie. This is what you get from watching the LATE LATE MOVIE on Saturday night TV after the Cartoon Network Anime fest.

Thank God for Jolt Cola, Moxie, Mello Yellow, and Big Red. Yes these drinks do exist.


	5. Chapter 4: Killers, Cults, Murder and a...

DARK ANGEL 2022: Manticore Aftermath: (HDCC 2)

By Shannon Hearn

The characters of Dark Angel are owned by Twentieth Century Fox Television and Cameron Eglee productions. All other characters are of my creation.

* * *

Sorry about taking so long between updates, I have been a little busy with a new job and all, so I should be getting to posting these again at a regular rate again. Now on with a long awaited chapter.

Oh, and Justin… You know who you are… Thanks for giving me the kick in the rear I when I needed it.

* * *

Parental advisory: This chapter is rated "R" due to it containing mild sexual content and nudity.

* * *

Chapter 4: Killers, Cults, Murder and a dude name Phil (I'm not joking. A dude named Phil). Part 2, Favors called in

* * *

Rita was tossing around on the bedroll from the dream she was having. It was a simple in its form but she could hear pain from Sebastian voice. He had so much to live for. He was going to have a show of his holographic paintings of his "Dolls". She could sense that he was just using his art just to help deal with his stress and start his second career. She had seen several pieces of his artwork in his mixed medium. Holographic glass plates, paper mashie, and filtered light glass, back painted with transparent epoxy jelly. But it was the pictures of the live sized dolls that he used in the holograms that people wondered about. No one had seen the dolls in his studio but he used them in several of his art pieces. Rita wanted to know more about Sebastian's art style but his death had taken the chance away. Rita just lay under the thick covers of the sheets of the tossing some of the thoughts of pain and loss into her mind.

That was when the light sated to shine though one of the windows in the room she was staying in and warm the sheets to the point where Rita had to get up as the light started to burn thorough her eyelids. That was when she heard some scuffing sounds of pencil on paper, a sound that Rita knew anywhere. With that Rita pulled the covers off of her body and swung her legs over the edge of the oriental style bedroll not realizing that she was laying on a platform that only placed her only about foot off of the floor. Instead of her feet hitting the floor like she expected them to, her blankets hit and she was caught off guard by how low on the floor she was and she saw a girl with short cut blue hair that was scribbling in a note book but it was the fact that the girl had eyes that wee brown to the point that they were giving off the appearance that they were black as night.

"Um, Hi..." Rita said to the girl wondering why the girl was studying her so, "So did Joshua send you to keep an eye on me?" The girl just tilted her head to the side as if to study her some more then the girl turned to look off in an unknown direction to her right, away from Rita then there was a humming sound coming from the girl for several moments as if she was in an conversation with an unseen individual then the girl turned back towards Rita with curiosity in her eyes as she just kept studying Rita's form. It took Rita a moment to think that this child had no vocal skills or communicated in a way that only other Transgenics could understand.

"I guess that you can't speak?" Rita said as she pulled some of the covers up around her frame to keep out the cold. Then the girl got up off of the floor and closed her notebook and headed over to Rita.

"I can speak, human female designate Rita." The girl said in an almost non-human tone as Rita pulled up the sheets to act like a pretend barrier to the girl's approach, but the girl stopped and studied her some more. The way the girl looked at Rita was like someone who was separated from all human social customs and knew only the study of human behavior to blend into society. The only reference she knew of someone like the girl before her was a character she had seen in a television show when she was a child. Illyria, that was the name that came to her mind. Illyria the Demon-Goddess that was mighty and powerful yet confused and scared about her place in the world, strong as a Mac Truck and was invincible. That and another character came to mind of the Terminatrix from the Terminator Movies, that several images of several Anime girls came to mind.

"Sorry, by the way you behaved I thought you were not able to speak." Rita said as the child studied her but she moved way as a more human reaction started to form on the girl's face.

"I apologize, for my behavior. I talk that way due to the telepathy that members of my series possess." The girl said as she knelt down by the raised bedroll Rita was on. "My name is Reice." The girl said as she held out her slender hand. Rita took the child's hand in her own and felt the soft grip of the child as it closed around her.

"Rita." Rita said as the girl studied the mocha skin of her hand.

"Soft skin, on the hands either means that you are upper-class or a desk worker." Reice said as if making a study of her. "Sorry, my clones Helena and Trish are tapping into my senses to learn how you know Joshua, Zero point Zero from?" Reice said as she went into the blank stare at Rita as if she was communicating something back to her counterparts then she faded back in behind her eyes. "Sorry about that Ma'am. I'm still getting used to my developing individuality." The girl said as a woman carrying a baby came into the room. Her short cut dark hair and green eyes looked like she was calm but very protective of her child. Reice moved away from Rita and walked over towards her. "Gem, Rita is not a threat to you or your child." Reice said as the mother placed her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Its okay considering the commotion from last night I felt safer having an X7 stand watch here." Gem said as her baby in its green jumper started to study Rita like, oh, a new person, does she play games. But Rita wondered what the commotion was from the previous night that had put this young mother on edge.

"Sorry Ma'am but a few kids decided to break through security last night on a dare and the mother's here decided to all spend the night together just to know that we were safe." Gem said as Rita started to understand the apprehension the girl had just being in here.

"So you don't like the idea that Joshua invited me to stay in here last night." Rita said wondering if she should just leave and let this mother and her child be.

"No, it's not that." Gem said as she shifted her child around to more of a playful position so that Gem could have a free hand. "I just have only met a few of Joshua's Ordinary Friends and I'm still a little jittery around Non-Coms considering that me and my daughter here have been running since the night of the fire." Gem said letting the woman before her know that she wasn't upset of her being there, it was just that she was an unknown element Gem was trying to access.

"So, you and Joshua know each other?" Rita said to the mother and child.

"Yes, he helped protect me while I was giving birth to little Elefteria here, during the entire mess with the Sector Police at Jam Pony." Those words said pretty much all Rita needed to know about why Gem was behaving the way she did.

"So, he was helping get your people here off of the street and away from Ames White." Rita said as Reice started to look at her strangely again.

"Yes, Joshua was able to get several Transgenics to Terminal City, I was one of them." Reice said as she moved over and pulled out some clothes from a bag that Joshua had given her. "Here Rita, Joshua left you some clothes for you to wear considering that what you had on last night looked like they had a better day on a hanger from the cleaners." Rita reached out and took the clothes from the X7's hand.

"Thank you, so do you know where Joshua is currently?" Rita asked Quizzically.

"Joshua went out to ask a few of his friends among the Jammers for help." Gem said as Elfie pawed at her shirt.

* * *

Joshua was worried about being down at Jam Pony once again. The last time he was down there He, Mole, Gem, Dalton were running from the Sector Police. But it was the day when a lot in his life changed. Gem and him had met and she had given birth to her own Zero point Zero, her daughter Elfie. Even walking the streets wearing his off road biking helmet he felt that he would never lose a friend or person he was close to. But having Dalton with him on this journey did help put his mind at ease. Hey a guy seven feet tall walking with a kid wearing Neo-Grudge/Ninja punk garb made the two of them blend in like crazy.

That was when he entered the entrance of Jam Pony to find help for what he needed to get done. Helping check out and follow up a lead for Rita of how her late friend died. There were several X-series walking around with the humans but he was looking for only a specific few that he knew personally. That was when Dalton sprung forward when he saw Melfina.

"Hey Melfina." Dalton said as the foofy haired X6 turned to see both of her friends.

"Joshua, Dalton... What brings you guys to this part of town?" Melfina said as she moved over to her friends as several of the Jam Pony staff stopped for a moment to see what had gotten the young Transgenic's attention.

"Well me and Dalton came to talk with Max, but since she is not here. Probably one of the others might want to help us out." Joshua said in semi defeat.

"Okay, Josh. I'll go help you out and given that Aspen will be coming back from her run in the next couple of minutes since I Lo-Jacked her Cell. So what do you need?" Melfina asked as she motioned over to the Jam Pony couch by the Hi-Def Television.

"Well I need some help Melfina," Joshua said pleadingly. "My Friend Rita needs some help and that she is in pretty bad shape." Joshua said as he lay down in Joshua terms of what happened to Rita's artist friend. Some of the Jam Pony staff moved by every once in a while to over hear the conversation but Normal who was doing his Bip, bip bip thing as usual came out of the office to see Joshua in that he had removed his helmet as he was sitting down.

"So Josh you want me to help you check out to see if the report is what it is or your friend Rita thinks that it is something else?" Melfina said as Normal and Cheyenne came up behind them.

"Yes Mel, I want you to see if you can look up the police report for you guys on my computer and see what the official case file is."

"Mel you are not going to hack into some computer system here at work and get me busted for aiding and abiding for computer crime." Normal said as Mel turned to see them.

"No Normal, I have a friend on the Seattle PD and he is going to help us out." With that Melfina walked over to her locker and took out her tablet computer and cell phone and headed back to the couch where Joshua and Dalton were sitting.

Mel reached over and waved her hand over the cell phone and in a moment the phone started to dial a phone number in its address book. One of Johna Mathews of the Seattle PD internal Affairs department and she put the phone to her ear.

"Hi is there a officer Johna Mathews in?" Melfina paused as the operator transferred her call to the appropriate department. During this time Mel took and set up her Tablet computer up and hit a switched that activated it's holographic projected keyboard in front of her.

"Mathews here," the voice said over the phone.

"Hi this is Melfina, Johna. How has life been treating you?" Mel said as the officer remembered her name.

"Oh, Hi Mel... I never thought that I would hear from you guys again. So how's life?" The officer said.

"Good, Things in Terminal city have calmed down somewhat, but you know other than the usual assholes that burn the occasional wooden X outside of the city and stupid kids pulling pranks. Things are pretty much been quite with rebuilding TC. So how's your family doing?" Mel said as the police officer that she and several members of the Early Freak Nation, Eyes Only Informant Net, and S1W helped out of the pickle he was in.

"Will Little Kyla is doing well, though for Halloween she wanted to go as your Gill Friend Hannah. Margot was about to have a fit, but we compromised on the costume by putting an X-Men belt around her waist." Johna said chuckling.

"So, are you calling to catch up on old times or is it important pertaining to your secret benefactor?"

"Well this doesn't pertain to him," Melfina knew that Normal and Everyone in the room knew what she was talking about. "Listen, a Friend of Joshua's had a associate of her's die recently. She says that the report states Suicide, but she doesn't by it. Could you take a look into it?" Melfina said as she could hear the favor that was about to come put.

"Yeah, sure I will. Listen Mel could you freelance a job for me in computer reconstruction, since you retrieved those IA files all those months ago?" Johna said putting his favor on the table.

"Okay, will do I'll swing by where is the system that you need fixed?" Melfina said.

"Well it is hooked up to the network, but could you install and run the super Boolean search program you guys have on your systems. I over heard some of the fed guys of how you were able to trace White's buddies down. I was thinking of using it down here in IA to help pinpoint leads and connect them so that we can identify issues of future abuse down here." Johna said.

"Okay, I'll be over to the station on my next run in Sector 15 and install it on all of your systems and give you all a walk through of its basic and advanced search options." Mel said as she turned to her projected keyboard and accessed her remote view utility.

"Okay, Mel are you ready to see the file? Just give me the name of the victim and I'll pull it up." Johna said as he pulled the file up on his screen.

"Yes," Melfina said as she typed in the ten digit numeric ISP number for the IA computer then she typed in the super user id and password so that she could view the file on the screen of Johna's computer.

"Joshua, what was the guy's name of Rita's?"

"Rita said that his name was Sebastian "Bastian Folker." With that Johna fed in the name into the Seattle PD database.

"Well from the base reading of the report," Johna said as he skimmed over the document on the screen. It seems like it was a suicide." Then Johna stopped for several moments as he shifted around.

"Melfina, listen I think you're friend's friend is right about her theory. The name on the report happens to be a guy that is under investigation for falsifying evidence and changing reports." Johna said as Mel caught on to what he was saying. "Mel, listen how quick can you get down here and load this program on our system? I think we just found your test run for the software." Johna said as Joshua, Dalton, Normal and Cheyenne looked at her.

"Okay, I'll swing by on my next run okay Johna." Melfina said as Normal started to get a glimpse of how Transgenics ran on a mission.

"Mel, Listen I'll give you a package to go to sector sixteen on the terms that I get one thing out of this." Normal said leaning over to whisper something into Mel's ear.

"Could you mention my name to Eyes Only when you get a chance." Normal said almost like Mel was off to speak with the Pope or a Rock Star.

"I'll see what I can do, but I think he already knows about you Normal." Melfina said she moved over to grab a package on the table labeled to sector sixteen toss her computer tablet and cell phone into her book bag as she headed out the door. "Joshua, I'll see what I can dig up okay." The Female X6 said as she headed out the door with her bike.

"Man. Melfina is a complicated person. First she disses me at the beach when she and Aspen are swimming, she acted like she was in a trance, now she is in full-blown, nail the hostile mode.

What is up with her?" Dalton said as Normal looked at the blond Transgenic kid.

"I don't know." Normal said. "One moment she is Xena Warrior Princess, the next she is like a scared five year old child." I think whatever they did you guys to make you hostile and emotionally stunted they must have given an extra dose to Mel.

"I don't know on that, but what ever it is..." Cheyenne said looking at the spot Mel had been moments before. "... That girl needs to meet the right guy and get seriously laid."

"I agree with you there, Normal." Joshua said, "I agree with you." Then Normal turned to Joshua and Dalton and changed the subject.

"So how are Gem and her daughter doing?"

"Their doing fine, Elfie is playing with several of the other Transgenic children, but she has developed this interesting interest in Ordinaries and Dogs that drives Gem nuts." Joshua said as Normal could picture his Godchild riding some golden retriever like some female alien Amazon warrior.

"Well I hope that I can get in to TC this weekend, I want to see how the little elf is up to." Normal said as he started to realize how much his life had changed since the birth of that special little girl into his life.

* * *

Asha was sitting across from the phone in her loft and she had been thinking more and more about her true origins. What was she? Transgenic or something more than human? The only reference she had for the questions she had was that she was born Invetro. Which could mean one of two things. A; she was human but the doctor's had tweaked her genetic structure like they had with the Uma Thurman character in the late night Ninety's SF flick 'Gattaca' or in Max's loaned novel "Brave New World." B: Asha was some early experiment that got accidentally dumped into her mother's womb. Or C: She was a human that was the core material for other Transgenics like Jondy.

I have to know if Jondy and me are the same person or at lease we are sisters? The question lay into her like a ton of bricks. With that she picked up the phone and dialed a number for the San Francisco area and listened for the phone to ring on the other side. Then after the fourth ring the phone picked up.

"Hello," The female voice so much like her's on the other side picked up.

"Jondy." Asha said with uncertainty. "It's Asha."

"Oh, Hi Asha how are things going with you and Alec?" The Brunette said over the phone.

"Pretty good, still working out the ins and outs of our relationship, but we have been opening up about our pasts."

"Well that is good, I'm glad that Ben's brother is doing well. So why are you calling. Is there something wrong?" Jondy said with the usual X5 study of the things around them.

"Well listen you have been in my mind for the last few days and would you mind coming to Seattle for a few days so that we can just spend time together?" Asha said a she started to put the first of her cards on the table.

"Well considering that the thanksgiving season is pretty slow this time of the year except for the big T-Day ball games that we are prepping for, I think I can worm my way out of a few days." Jondy said as she started to study the breathing pattern in Asha's speech.

"Well I want to know if we are truly sisters, or we are just kin." Asha said as she lay another card down on the table.

"Well I have been thinking on coming down there since some drunk guy at the bar called my Asha a few days ago. So we better start learning about whom the other has run into, just to keep the confusion of identities straight." Jondy said worriedly.

"Okay, listen. Thanks for doing this." Asha said as she just let the question start to go to the front and the back of her mind at the same time. "I don't know what species I am any more, I just want to feel normal."

"Yeah I agree with you, sometimes you just have to find a constant in your life and hold on to it." Jondy said as she shifted some on the phone. "Asha, listen are you and Alec planning on having children?" The question hit Asha off guard.

"Might happen in the future, why?" Asha said as she listened to the phone.

"Well I think I just missed a period of mine and I'm worried I might me." The Transgenic said as Asha could see he copy place a hand on her belly of where the child would grow.

"Okay, well It's better that you come up here so that we can take care of this." Asha said feeling kinship with her brunette other self.

"Well, I'll see if I can get up there sometime later this week or later next week. How does that sound?" Jondy said as she found another sister to her heart.

"Okay I plan to see you soon, just let me know when you are leaving and expecting to be in town?" Asha said as she sat down on her bed hearing almost a kinship with the woman on the other end.

"Will do Asha."

"Well see you soon Jondy, bye." With that Asha hung up the phone. Asha just sat there for several moments her mind was racing. Jondy Pregnant, that would me she would be an aunt if they were related. Transgenics considered members of their unit and their clones to be family, so was she blood family or just family in their eyes. She wanted to know so that she could fill the void left by her brother's death from all those years ago. Asha needed to clear her mind so she decided to take a shower. As she undressed and walked into the bathroom nude and she looked at her body truly for the first time in her life and really studied her form. At all the curves and creases in her body. The color of her skin, the way her jaw line was formed and her eyes. How much of her was human? How much was truly her; and how much was just plain genetics? With that she put her hands on the mirror before her nude form and looked into her eyes.

"Who am I?" She said aloud to herself.

* * *

Logan was following up leads and information about the current status of the Criminal Underworld. But things have been on the usual quite since several of the Transgenics had started asking to join the Seattle PD. But there was going to be along road ahead for those former super soldiers as they transitioned into civilian life. But Logan realized that, that was when he started to use the Lyra 2022 and Boolean Spider programs Mel had loaded onto him computer to sort through his various files. The graphic images his computer was displaying was remarkable in matching up keywords and concepts and flowing them together into on big web of what Eyes Only was watching. And Logan was impressed, but when he looked through the virtual maze of data that was before him as he got an overhead view of it and that paths were made obvious.

But right before him was a pattern emerging about the current activities of the Familiars. There was a clear fractioning of their beliefs one group was going radical, while another was going through a type of religious reformation movement that was growing human and Transgenic tolerant due to the entire Battle of the Freaks Scenario that had played out. But he decided to let the computer put some more pieces of the puzzle together for him as more information started to come in. Now Logan turned his attention to an insurance fraud scam that one of the local businessmen had been doing. It looked like he was dealing in stolen art that the guy was reselling from recently deceased artists. He had gotten this lead through an informant who was doing some insurance work and wanted Logan to tell Eyes Only about an individual who had over the last few years had been a big patron of the arts but had been skipping on helping the families of the artists he supported after their deaths. Some were accidents, two or three suicides, a drug overdose and a home invasion that had gone bad. Logan's contact had smelled a rat and wanted Logan to help get this guy on some sort of tax evasion. That was when Logan's computer started to run through the files his contact had supplied him and with a little web searching by the system pointed out that all the artists had sold their art through the Iconographic Gallery and all had died after selling large amounts of works to the gallery either before an exhibition or to pay some debts. That was when Logan's Eyes Only instincts had started to kick in. Same Gallery, Artists who needed money quickly, all had died under strange circumstances. This was a pattern killer. Then Logan's mind kicked into play, as he needed to call Joshua and Rita ASAP. He needed to learn whom these artists were and how long had this been going on.

* * *

Rita was sitting among a group of Transgenics mothers and something about the comradely among them had lifted her spirits. So much life and emotions in a place and time so dark was almost amazing. She now learned why Joshua's artwork sold so much. The term struggling artist was nothing. It was Joshua who had become the voice of these people and he just put their essence, their emotions, their pure uncut emotions of pain, loss, love and extended family; this is why people flocked to his works. The art was alive and a reflection of the best and of the worse of humanity.

"Gem..." said a young dark skinned X-series girl that looked barely out of her teens with reddish tattoo markings on her cheeks turned to her friend unsure weather or not to consider Rita a person to talk to or just keep her distance from. "... I'm scared."

Gem moved over to her friend and started to rub the side of her friend's neck. "Kelly... It's okay I know this is the first Ordinary that you have been near since you gave birth to Merishka. So if you want to keep Mer away from her its okay. But you can't hide from the world out there. Your daughter at some point will have to know what is on the other side of the fence." Gem said putting the young mother at ease.

"I know... I don't know what scares me more. Ordinaries trying to kill our people or that they wanted to take my baby from me when I conceived at Manticore." Kelly said as Rita moved over and spoke to Gem's friend.

"I respect if it is your decision but your daughter should at lease and sense out who to trust." Rita said as the young Transgenic mother reached over and held her own daughter closer. Then little Merishka's had reached out and touched Rita's out stretched hand. The long eternity as both Rita and Kelly watched the little girl's hand caress Rita's dark hand and giggled some. The grin was bigger than Kelly had seen in her life as she looked at her daughter's face. For that one moment all of her fears fled from her body as Merishka's tiger markings started to act as another grin of happiness.

"See, not all humans are the nasty monsters you were all taught to hate." Rita said as she moved her hand from the baby and caressed the cheek of the young mother.

"I understand... " As tears started to flow down the mother's face. "I understand." With that the mother snuggled her daughter letting her know it was okay. That was when Reice came up to Rita and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Rita one of my clones in command wants you to go down there. There is a call pertaining to you and you are needed." Reice said as Rita nodded.

"Gem, it was nice meeting with you. Oh, Tell Joshua that if he ever does a family portrait of you all to send me a photo." Rita said as she left the room with the blue haired Transgenic.

"Will do Rita, Will do." Gem said as she shifted her daughter to her side and she and the infant Transgenic started waving to Rita as she left the room. "Bye, bye Rita, yes you are. Yes you are waving to Rita." Rita just grinned as she followed the blue haired transgenic out of the room and moved through the streets.

For a place that looked like it was a trash heap on the outside. The inside was remarkably clean, as if the outside had been messed up on purpose to keep people from looking in or wanting to wander in. Between some of the looks Rita got from some of the various inhabitants of Terminal City she felt like she was standing out not due to her appearance but due to her age. Rita saw everything from seeing a full blown cat woman wearing a feau fur jacket to a brown reptile man smoking a cigar to a busty blond X-series woman sitting next to a scruffy X-series male on a hood of a old pickup truck who had a albino snake draped over his shoulder feeding little fragments of his pig in a blanket hotdog to it and occasionally kissing the girl.

"CJ. Thanks for getting lunch." The girl said to the guy.

"Not bad for a former drug addict prototype, thanks for helping me get through the cold turkey withdrawal." CJ said as he kissed the blond again and the snake went and goosed the blonde's cleavage.

"George the snake, my boobs are for my boyfriend. Not for your own personal obstacle course." The girl said as she reached down and pinched the snake's head in between her fingers and brought it up to her eye level and scorned the snake.

Rita knew that despite all the strangeness of this place was to her. For the people who lived here it was home and things were completely normal for them as she followed the young Transgenic in to what looked like a huge workroom.

"We are here." The blue girl said as she walked over to her green-mirrored counterpart. Then a man looking like a rodent came up to Rita and led her to one of the many tables spread out on the floor.

"Ma'am Logan wants to talk with you." With that Rita was handed a cell phone and the rodent man moved away to work on some computer with a girl with metallic cat ears.

"Hello..." Rita said as she waited for the voice on the other end to reply back.

"Hello Rita. It has been a long time since we last spoke." Logan said over the phone. Rita felt comfortable suddenly realizing that despite all the strangeness around her, Logan's voice sounded like it was in the next room.

"Nice to hear from you Logan. So why are you calling and how did you find out where I was?" Rita said wondering how Logan found out where she was it.

"Well I called your office and they told me that you were staying with a friend, by the name of Joshua so I took a guess that Joshua was the Joshua you were referring to so I called here." Logan said putting his explanation down.

"Okay, so after taking a rough guess, why did you need to speak with me for? Is it something pertaining to the Transgenics? Some Piece of art you want me to see if it is authentic? What is it?" Rita said wondering what Logan was going to ask her?

"Well, what do you know about an Art Aficionado named William Gillaind other than the usual stuff that shows up in the celeb rags and circles." Logan said to Rita as she sorted through what she knew about the guy.

"Well over the last few years he has been supporting young and up and coming artists all around the place in the various arts. Painters, sculptors, Architects, Dancers, Models, Writers, Poets and the lot." Rita said to Logan as she noticed a female golden retriever start to snuggle next to a Dog Girl to receive an ear scratch. "Why are you asking, is this in any relation to me asking Joshua to look in to the recent death of an artist friend of mine that I feel wasn't right?" Rita said to Logan, as there was a dead silence on the other end of the line.

"Rita I want you to get with Joshua quickly, there is something that I need you to come and take a look at." Logan said with a worrying sound in his voice.

"What is it? Logan what have you found out about him, is it connected to Sebastian's death?" Rita said concerned that Logan might have found something out about her late friend's death.

"I don't know but I need to reach Joshua, does he have his Cell phone on him?" Logan said over the line.

"He probably does Logan." The dog girl called out from near by and Rita reacted with curiosity. How good was Transgenic hearing?

"Okay. I'll met with you later tonight, I have some more checking to do but I'll keep in touch." Logan said as he hung up and Rita was staring at the phone.

"What have I gotten Joshua into?" Rita said as she stood in the center of the command center. "What have I gotten Joshua into?"

* * *

Alessandra and Aneli were hiding out in a hotel room. For the last three days they had been on the run. Moving place to place after they witnessed their client being killed. For two women who wanted to earn some extra money modeling so that they could have a good time quickly turned into a disaster. It had started out as a simple posing nude for an artist who used a homemade holographic camera to take an extend 30 minute shot of them posing. Between the dark almost black contacts that they had to wear in their eyes and the latex which covered their bodies in key places in a kind of a like painted on Manequne-Euq costume to prevent the beams from causing any permanent damage to them and given them a light burn that would make a sunburn look tame. They looked almost like full sized human dolls in the images. So grinning like an idiot for almost ten minutes for the first few shots was nothing. Heck for Aneli she loved showing off her Rubenque busty body and with all those curves she had for Bastian, for who she liked in more ways than one especially asking to be love with her. For Alessandra, she felt that other than being caught in this prototype hyper holographic camera in the buff and having a full 3-D picture made of your body was one thing that Alessandra didn't want her old man to find out about until it was time that she could tell him. That and the fact she was a lesbian with a lover

It wasn't until their last photo shoot that things had gone to hell and back that she and Aneli were place in a place she didn't want to go. Being on the run after seeing a murder of the Artist they were posing for. So being trapped behind several pains of glass that was coated with the development and contact material on the glass after witnessing a man in full Goth makeup coming in along with several other individual and playing a gun to Bastian's head and blowing the his brains out. If they weren't scared out of their wits and afraid to move or they would have been killed. It wasn't until they had to breath they got caught on to as they fled out of the back door that Bastian had hid behind a bookcase just in cast some people came looking for him. Bu the door had been activated and closed behind them. So running through the hidden nineteen thirties probation era escape tunnels once used by bootleggers in their plastic wrapped feet. It wasn't until they bailed out of down on the first floor the found themselves heading for Aneli's car. They quickly started to hide out in an old cabin that she and Bastian had spent a few loved filled nights at.

Alessandra was not sitting normally on the floor; she was crawled up in a pair of Aneli's sweat panties and t-shirt and was staring at the fire like a scared child.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Alessandra said in her native Italian tongue as she put her arm around herself in an attempt to push off the cold. The images of the blood and the gray matter going flying on the glass were still repeating in her mind.

"Aless." Aneli said as she brought over a sandwich and placed it by her friend by the fire. "You have to eat. If you don't eat, you won't be able to run." Aneli said as she placed her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I know but we need to find a way to find Eyes Only?" Aless said worried.

"Yeah, the question is was the guy in the Goth makeup human or was he one of the Familiars they had heard about or was he was Transgenic that had gone bad." Aneli said looking into the flames of the fire.

"All we need to do is to pray for a miracle." Aless said looking at the once functional cell phone that had bee in the place but had gotten fried during the Pulse over a decade ago. All things would fall into place for better and for the worse. The better would show itself in the form of a good man Joshua.

* * *

Sitting before the computer Logan and Rita were looking at several pieces of information on the screen. It was not good.

"Rita between what you have told me about William Gillaind..." Logan said scrolling through the data on the screen, "There have been a series of artists that he has supported then under mysterious circumstances or through accidents have all died."

"So Bastian's death could have been murder." Rita said looking at the data flow through them and the list started to stretch back over the years.

"Yes and your friend was just the most recent victim." Logan said as he pried into a few other files from the pre and post Pulse years. Then Logan got a call on his phone.

"Logan..." he said as his listened.

"Logan its, Melfina. Listen I was looking into something for Joshua and I decided to pay a visit to Mathew's in IA. Well it seems that the officer that was doing the investigation into the Artist's suicide is under IA investigation for several other crimes pertaining to falsifying evidence. But so far they haven't had anything to nail the guy on, other than some suspicions." Melfina said over the phone.

"Mel could you get a hold of a copy of this officer's investigation record and his financial statements?" Logan said as he almost was salivating over the fact that he had an old fashioned Bad guy to deal with.

"I'll see if I can get it to you Logan, but most of the financial record is in printout, so it will take me a while to track down some of that, but the police record won't be a problem. I'm burning it to disk right now but Logan, there is something you need to know, there have been several T-blood sightings near his place." Melfina said she waited for Logan to respond.

"Are you sure?" Logan asked in patience.

"It's on the disk, Logan. They have a 99.3 body temp. That is a little hard to miss." Melfina said as she started to pack up her equipment.

"So that means Marrow is back in town and working with Gillaind." Logan said as the implications started to set in. "Max isn't going to be happy with this."

* * *

Max was returning from an errand and heading towards Jam Pony. Between Jam Pony and Terminal City, she could be herself. Heck the idea that CJ was becoming like family to her had kinda cheered things up for her. For Max, CJ was kinda of dorky at times but given all the pain she had gone through growing up, he would have understood the need to hide all that much more better. Logan had started to understand why she was so distanced, but he knew why and it wasn't the virus. In the next week he would be cured and he would be able to hold her and hand touch her bare skin. Max longed for just to be held in love. No sex but pure simple emotional contact. But with Marrow in town she felt like her life was just beyond her control. Just for one day she wanted to just be plain simple Max. No cops, no needing the save the world, no having to deal with council this or council that, no mutant mischief. Just her and being a somewhat normal person in this broken world she lived in. That was when she walked her bicycle into the main area of Jam Pony and saw Joshua sitting with Dalton. She hoped that it wasn't a big mess for her.

"Hi Little Fella." Joshua said as he got up and gave her one of his well know bear hugs.

"Joshua, what are you doing here?" Max said as she looked up at him.

"Joshua came here looking for you, but found Melfina. I needed her to check something out for me for Rita Little Fella." Joshua said as he looked down at her.

"Is it something you need me to take care of?" Max said worried that it was something big.

"No, Rita just wanted to know if a close friend of her was murdered or died in an accident." Joshua said as Max looked into his eyes. Eyes that knew how to find the truth in a world full of lies.

"So Mel is helping you?" Max asked as Normal came up beside of her.

"Well the big guy here just wanted to know if the facts he was looking for were true or not." Normal said look up at Joshua.

"So how are Gem and her bouncing baby girl?" Normal said to Joshua.

"Gem is doing well, me and her switch watching Elfie. But little Elfie like having all her friends around her that are in Terminal City." Joshua said looking at Elfie's godfather. "Elfie is making toxic diapers, that make my eyes water. How can mashed peas turn into stuff that explodes when it gets near a flame?" Joshua wondered aloud.

"I don't know but I would change her diet of what she has been eating." Normal said referring to his own experience of the world. "Well enjoy this time while she is young. You won't have this time ever again. Heck the next thing you will have to be dealing with is her going to school for the first time. Her asking for the keys to the car, her bringing home her first boyfriend or girlfriend depending on how she swings." Normal said as Joshua started to look like a deer stuck in the middle of the headlights of an oncoming truck. "Don't worry man, it will be years away so just deal with Elfie's little problems for now. Things should work out for you." Normal said as he patted Joshua on the shoulder. Max just grinned as she thought about her own vision of the future. She and Logan would have a little girl, she wondered about spending more time with Joshua and learning more about what the Transgenics mother needed so that their lives could be made just a bit more easier for them.

"Joshua, listen do you mind that I spend some time with you, Gem and Elfie." Max said thinking about just being with friends and being a normal person for once.

"Can do Max." Joshua said as Max's cell phone started ringing, and Max reached to pick it up.

"Max Here." Max said as she paused for a moment as she heard Logan's voice on the other end.

"Max is Joshua there?" Logan said with a feeling of urgency in his voice. Max felt that there was something Logan was holding back from her and it was something important.

"Yeah, Joshua is here, what is it Logan? Is there something wrong?" Max said over the phone.

"Well it pertains to the case I am working on for Joshua. I found a lead, but I need his sense of smell to check it out." Logan said as Max go the feeling that whatever favor Logan was doing for Joshua was a break from whatever mess with Marrow had come up.

Sure Logan," Max said as she reached over and with her free and motioned for Joshua t come over to her. "Joshua, its Logan he wasn't to speak with you about some case he is working on for you." With that Max handed Joshua her cell phone but she stayed close enough to hear the phone with her enhanced hearing.

"Hello Logan." Joshua said in his usual slow speech he used whenever talking with people.

"Joshua, how good are your tracking skills?" Logan commented on as he waited for Joshua's answer.

"Well I tracked Max from one side of the city to the other side just by me remembering her scent. But tracking humans I need to get hold of a personal item of theirs so I can refresh the trail as I track. Logan why are you asking?" Joshua said as he wondered before Max.

"Joshua, your Friend Rita's associate was known to work with a modeling service and hire local girls to pose for his works. The thing is I just ran some of the faces on the holographic plates through my facial recognition system and stared to pull some images out. It looks like he used the same three girls. The thing is I've already located one. It's Cindy's Girlfriend Nanushka. The other two are an Aneli Csokas and an Alessandra Argento. Now since these are painted photos on class, I have had Phil look at them, and the Dolls are not Dolls they are girls dressed up to be dolls. So given the Police report Mel got her hands on, I think that we may have two witnesses to a crime. I need you and Max to go to Nanushka's place and ask her to let you in so that you can get hold of an item of Alessandra's so that you can track her down." Logan said as he paused for a second. "I'll be taking Phil down to the crime scene so that he can take a look at the camera so that he can figure out how it works, we might be able to get another image or figure out what actually went down in there." Logan said as Max heard every last word.

"Logan, I'll go with Joshua and Dalton here, Tell Cindy that we are on our way to sector eight." Max said understanding that Logan probably heard her on his side of the line.

"Will do Max. I'm heading out now, catch up with you later at TC." Logan said as he hung up his phone. Joshua and Max looked at each other.

"Joshua, could you tell me what you have been up to with Logan, because I get the feeling that he is working a case." Max said with a look of I know what you have been up to, now spill or I am going to kick your ass.

"Well I..." With those words Joshua started to fill her in about Rita, her dead artist friend and why he was asking Logan for the favor he did as they headed to Nanushka's apartment. Max would later find out that there was more to this case than she ever expected.

* * *

Nanushka was sitting inside of her apartment. Between her recent encounter with Melfina, she had a feeling that whatever was up with the old Alice being missing she knew that having one of Mel's and Cindy's friends track her down made her feel a little easier, but there was something nagging at the back of her mind as Joshua walked though the door. Cindy had told her that Joshua was tall; she wasn't expecting a guy the height of an NBA draft player that could just throw the ball from the stands and score a hoop with no problem.

"Um, Hi you are Nanushka?" The large man behind the motor cross helmet said as he moved through the door with Cindy and some young kid about Melfina's age.

"Yes I am." Nan said as she moved out of the doorway to let the towering figure through.

"I am Joshua, this is Dalton. Logan said that you know Alessandra." Joshua said as Nan studied his features. For a man this size he didn't look intimidating but he looked like someone that was gentle most of the time. But why hadn't he taken his helmet off? Was the question that stuck in the back of Nan's mind.

"Cindy, listen why don't you tell Joshua take his helmet off, he kinda of looks awkward wearing it." Nan said as Cindy move by her.

"Nan, you know I told you about Joshua." Cindy said, as Nan looked at her then realized why.

"You mean that he is a Transgenic. Well I'm a little better prepared after my encounter with Melfina." Nan said as the blond kid turned in her direction.

"You met Melfina... Well what is she like in your view. I mean she has a great body, very streamlined. I'm thinking that there is probably a little dolphin in her." The kid said as if he thought having some Dolphin in you was like being a swimsuit model.

"Melfina has Cat in her cocktail." Joshua said as Nan started to understand some. DNA, it was like being powerful or weak depending on what you got spliced with.

"Cat... But she is an X-Six, I'm and X-Six and I have Dog in my genetic mix." The kid said moving over to Joshua, a little surprised.

"Um, mind that I butt in, but my roommate is missing." Nan said as she moved over and tapped Joshua on the shoulder.

"I know, I am just trying to get a scent on who has been here." Joshua said as he went for the laundry pamper in one of the bedrooms and started to toss garments out of it.

"What are you doing?" Nanushka said as she reached and attempted to stop Joshua from going through the laundry, but Cindy stopped her in her tracks.

"Trust me Nan, Joshua isn't a pervert. He is just part dog." Cindy said as Nan shot him a look of "Wha'?"

"Joshua smells three scents in here? I need help to sort." Joshua said as with reluctance he moved to take off his helmet but he stopped and looked at Cindy. "Will not freak when you see me? Because I can only handle so much, "Oh, my God, you're going to kill me" or "I am seriously Trippen man, your part dog." I don't like that being brought up. It makes me feel scared." Joshua said as Cindy nodded and told him by mouthing the words "It's okay Joshua, ahead." With that Joshua slowly removed his helmet and revealed his face.

All Nanushka could do was look in fascination, very human caring eyes on a face that had a lower mouth and nose that looked like they had come off of a golden retriever. She did not know whether or not to hug the stuffing out of him or scratch behind his ears.

"Wow, you look nice." Nanushka said as she slowly walked forward Joshua.

"You not afraid, you not trippin' about me being part dog?" Joshua said over the pile of laundry.

"No, but I think that I am definitely going Bi-, because... um'...." Nan was almost biting the bottom of her lip to prevent herself from drooling.

"Joshua as a girlfriend named Gem and she asked me to be the father of her daughter Elfie..." Joshua said as she attempted to move backwards but proceeded to trip over the bed. "You look like you are in Heat." Joshua said almost panicking.

"Sorry, I.... I didn't know that you were with someone." Nan said as she looked at Joshua.

"Joshua understands, many of the females in Terminal City wanted me, but with Gem... I feel whole. I lost Annie and she lost her mate. But it is Elfie that makes us feel whole. She is first and I am First. And Gem knows that I will make a good father, I will try and fail, and try again to make sure Elfie grows up wise and happy." Joshua said to Nanushka.

"Okay, Listen how about I help you find what you are looking for in your laundry and you tell me some about Gem and Elfie." Nanushka said as she got on the floor near the laundry pile and started to pull at items.

"Okay, I need to find items that Alessandra had worn in the past few days." Joshua said as he started to sniff at a bra.

"Well first how about I sort my stuff out and what's left is mostly will be her's." Nan said as she started to toss some of her garments into a pile on the bed.

"Okay, that will be a good start." Joshua said as Cindy knelt down by him and started to sort through the pile and started to organize the panties and the bras into several piles.

"Mine, Alessandra's, Jenny's, Jenny... Mine." Nanushka said as she stopped for a moment to look at a pair o torn thong panties that had the entire back bottom ripped out of them. "Oh, crap... Well at least I found the pair of panties that went missing from Aless and Jenny's little hormone fest a few days ago." Nan said as she moved and aimed the pair of destroyed panties into the garbage can.

"Nan," Joshua said as he looked at her. "I have seen many Ordinaries, but you are the first that hasn't behaved in a startled way or stared at me. Isn't this about Melfina?" Joshua said as Nanushka grinned at him.

"Well after Melfina got scared out her wits, I learned that if I would just be friendly, you wouldn't be scared and was easier to warm up to." Nanushka said as she pulled back a lock of her black hair.

"I am glad that you know Cindy." Joshua said as he started to occasionally start to sniff some more. "Wait..." Joshua said as he started to move towards one of the piles and took out a sterile cloth that he pulled from a plastic crime scene evidence-gathering bag and started to dab at several of the undergarments. "I need to get a scent on this paper." Then Joshua turned to Cindy. "Cindy I think there is enough scent here that I can find your friends." Joshua said as something clicked in him. "I'm a tracker and finder of people. Father made me to find people in need." That was when his eyes started water.

"I know Joshua, you found Boo. Now I think Eyes Only needs you to help find these girls." Cindy said as Joshua got up and started to toss a few of the garments into another Ziploc bag before he headed for the door.

* * *

Logan was walking around the Loft of the late Sebastian Smith. This guy was seriously into photography Logan was Glad that he had brought along Phil. But talking Phil into leaving with him took only the words, "Eyes Only has heard of your talents and thought that they would be recommended for this mission that I am on and...." Logan barley got the words out his mouth before.

"Who does he want me to go after, who does he want me to watch, and what does he need me to do?" Phil said in almost one breath.

"Whoa Phil, all EO wants you to help me is look at the crime scene of a Case I'm helping him with and hopefully we can piece together what happened and hopefully find something that the Police missed during their initial investigation." Logan said as both he and Phil piled into his aging Pontiac Aztek.

"Logan... tell me how long have you known Eyes Only?" Phil said carefully.

"A couple of years now. But he has known about you pretty much after the Cale Industries Killer Hover done incident. By the way thanks for saving my Butt and acting as a Decoy as Max took out the Hover drone." Logan said keeping things between Phil and himself settle into a round of simple answers and responses. For the most part Phil just acted calm as they entered the apartment.

"So who lived in this place?" Phil said as Logan opened the door with a key that police had made for security reasons.

"An artist who was supposedly murdered, One of EO's contacts has a few friends in the Art community and he wants us to check this out. Now so far we have an idea that it was done for insurance fraud, but considering that the guy was a photographer, I might need your help in seeing if any of this guy's gear caught the murder in process." Logan said as he opened the door to the large studio. Phil was drooling when he saw the crime scene.

"Wow, this is a holographic camera. Do you know what it takes to build one of these puppies???" Phil said as he slowly moved into the room behind Logan.

"Yeah, well see if you can find anything of interest that might get this guy offed." Logan said as Phil started to examine the camera some more.

"Well Logan, you said you were looking for anything such as a camera that had taken a picture." Phil said as he started to look at each of the panels on a large rotating platform. "It looks like he was taking various photos of a large object on a spinning platform."

"Yeah he was shooting models on the platform." Logan said as Phil started to study the broken glass on the floor.

"Well I think he caught an image of someone shooting him." Phil said as he looked at the plate.

"What do you mean Phil?" Logan said as Phil pulled up a plate of glass.

"Because he was taking images through a reverse pattern of double sided imagery. Two pictures at once on this glass, it looks like it was set up with a self-development film." Phil said as he handed the self-developing panel up into the light. One side showed two girls wearing very little in the way of clothing, heck they were wearing gauze over their bodies. Then Phil flipped the image around and a scene of a gun going off and the shooter and two other people standing behind him. One of them was Marrow.

"Oh, Crap." Logan said as he saw the image. "Why didn't the police see this when they came it?"

"What is it Logan?" Phil said as Logan turned around and stepped away and leaned against a bookshelf that shifted. Logan fell backwards with his cell phone in his hand. Phil clutched the glass panel against his chest. "You okay?" Phil said as he stepped forward.

"I'm okay, Lets just say I just found out something more about the guy." Logan said as he got up and turned on a light in the hidden room he had found.

"What he was like a retired spy." Phil said as he placed the panel down on the rotating table and moved to where Logan was standing.

"No, he was some former Tech from Manticore." Logan said as in the room sat what looked like to be a merged exoskeleton and a motorcycle. On the front of the chest plate was the Chimera symbol of Manticore.

"What do you mean Logan? That this guy is a Transgenic." Phil said looking around the room taking in some of the advanced tech that made his exo look like an old twentieth century Model-T.

"No, I'm thinking that he used to work for them, this probably would explain half the gear here." Logan said as he looked into several items. Some of them being topless photos of a Rubeneque dark haired woman kissing Bastian, followed by an image of an ultrasound image of a baby in it womb with the mother's name at the top.

"I think one of his models was dating him." Phil said as he looked into Logan's book bag and pulled out a file on the missing girls. "Here Logan..." Phil said as he handed Logan a photo of one of the missing girls.

"Aneli Csokas, age 22. Csokas... I think I know that name from somewhere? " Logan said as he closed his eyes and started to pound his brain for the answer. Then it hit him. "Csokas... The Csokas... Crime family.... Shit Phil. I think that if we don't find these girls soon... I think there is going to be a full out gang war." Logan said he quickly moved towards the door.

"What about the hologram Logan?" Phil said as he paused for a second at the plate of glass on the rotating table in the main living area of the loft.

"Grab it Phil... I think you helped break the case again." Logan said as Phil took his jacket off to wrap the glass panel so that he could carry down the stairs without his hand being cut.

"I won't drop it Logan..." Phil said as he moved towards the door and down the stairs.

* * *

Joshua was sitting in the passengers seat of Alec's nineteen eighty-four Cadillac convertible as the wooded scenery passed by. Joshua felt that this girl's scent was the key to finding her. Joshua felt that getting to know some of Cindy's friends would have left him traumatized but Nan had given him something that he never knew he had, understanding that life was ever stranger than he ever knew about.

"Hey Josh..." Alec said from the driver's seat, as he tapped the giant Transgenic on the arm. "... Do you still have that girl's scent?"

"Yes... Joshua does." Joshua said as he sniffed the hair through his helmet.

"Good, how far do you think it is?" Alec said as Joshua looked at him.

"Close... The scent is growing stronger and more recent." Joshua said as thoughts started to roll through his head. Humans were such strange creatures, but they did invent Mac and Cheese.

"Alec, are you and Asha getting busy with it?" Joshua said Alec just nearly hit the breaks on the car with such force that he nearly locked up the drive train of the aging car.

"What..." Alec said looking over towards Joshua. "Listen, Joshua Me and Asha have been dating... Yes we have been having sex... Lots of really hot sex... Joshua... you haven't been listening to the stuff they say around Terminal City... I am going to marry that woman, even if she is the base genetic material for Max's sister Jondy." Alec said as Joshua turned to look at him.

"I was just asking, because... Well you know... I want to ... with Gem since she got cleared by Medical." Joshua said as he tried to work out the words of what he was trying to say...

"Wait you mean that you and Gem are planning to..." Alec's brain officially farted from the concept of seeing Joshua Naked with Gem. Little less than them doing the deed...

"Yes..." Joshua said with one word...

"Okay... That's it... No more talking about sex in this car... Not about me or Asha, or Max or Logan... And trust me, I don't want to even think about Gem and You doing it..." Alec said as he reached to put the car back in gear... "There are some images a guy doesn't need to thing about when he is driving. Now I officially have lost the mood to have sex with Asha for at least a week." Alec said as she started to accelerate the car down the road.

"Sorry Alec, about the Sex... I have never done it before..." Joshua said as Alec just kept his eyes on the road.

"Joshua... here is a word of advice... have you and Gem take a shower together, learn where the plumbing is at, and learn to find out where the other likes to be touched... say whoosh if it is pleasant and No Whoosh in the areas the other doesn't like to be touched." Alec said as Joshua's attention shifted to sniffing the air again.

"Alec… They are near… one klick ahead…" Joshua said as his senses became filled with urgency.

"Okay Josh… just point the way…" Alec said as he punched the accelerator harder.

* * *

TBC

Chapter 5: Models, Cases, and Mob Princesses

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	6. Chapter 5: Models, Cases, and Mob Princ...

Sorry so long for updating this story, I have been busy with other projects so I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 5: Models, Cases, and Mob Princesses

* * *

Aneli was swapping guard duty with Aless... Talk about something she didn't want to do... Between being tired as hell, all she wanted was to go home, have some of Deringo's cooking and get some rest in her own bed. But she was stuck here with Aless in a cheap hotel room... Boy for a Lesbian Daughter of the head member of the Italian crime family, she was sure freaked... Talk about having a contract on your head and she was Russian Mafia... Then there was a knock on the door. 

"Excuse me... Aneli Csokas..." The man's voice said behind the door. Aneli could almost hear the sleaze in his voice. Aneli didn't say who it was but took out a periscope out of her purse and put it to the window to avoid the bullet through the peephole move that many a cleaner had used to take put a subject through a door. So moving to the inside of the door she peered through her buck fifty children's toy to see who was on the other side. It was a Blond male guy who looked like he was pretty well built, probably a prizefighter that had a job doing bouncing or some other nefarious deed.

"Who is it?" Aneli said as she readied a baseball bat she had taken out of car.

"A friend sent us?" The man said as she saw a larger figure standing behind him wearing a motocross helmet.

"Okay... who sent you?" Aneli said as she kept looking through the periscope.

"Nanushka, your friend's roommate." The man said as he slowly opened his coat out and withdrew from his inside pocket a cell phone. "I will personally call her and let you speak with her..." The man said as he started to scroll through the numbers on the phone's display.

"If you are lying or harm her in any way, I will show you what the Russian Mob does to folks like you." Aneli said as she moved away from the door and started to rustle her awake.

"Aless... Aless." Aneli said as she started to knock at Alessandra's body. "Wake up..." Aneli said, as Aless wouldn't wake up. "Okay I didn't want to do this..." With that Aneli grabbed a handful of Aless's long hair and pulled. The young Olive skinned Italian woke up in blaring pain.

"Youch... you piece of Russian 'Asino di peso eccessivo dell'orso polare' over weight Polar Bear ass ... I'm awake." Aless said as she rubbed her head.

"Sorry Aless, but someone is at the door for you and they say that they know a friend of yours... Nanushka..." Aneli said as she started to pull her friend out of bed. Sweats and bare feet touched the floor as Aneli readied the floor bolt so that she could slam it on the guy's arm if he got tricky.

"Yeah... I know Nan... She's like me... Mafia..." Aless said as she was blunted against the wall.

"Well there are two guys at the door that say that they know her." Aneli said as she held the baseball bat so sternly in front of her that her large D-Cup breasts were getting smooshed into one lobe of massive fat on her chest under her t-shirt by her taught arms.

"Okay... Have them call Nan and have them hand the phone through then if they make a move you can break his arm." Aless said as Aneli prepared herself to answer.

"Hey you two outside if you have Nanushka's number then call her." Aneli said as she started to get ready for a wrong answer.

"Okay I have a call going through..." the Blond Boxer said as he held up the phone to the peephole in the door. The large display screen said: Dialing 360-555- the last four digits read as Nanushka's personal home phone number as the phone started ringing. Then there was a pause as the phone switched to saying Call Active.

"Hello..." the voice said on the other side of the line.

"Okay... Hand the phone through the door. " Aneli said as she moved the door open with the bottom concrete and metal reinforced door break that prevented the door from being moved further backwards than a few inches and the door chain which looked like it was over an half an inch thick. "If you do anything tricky... I'll hurt you Ukrainian style." Aneli said as she cracked the door open.

"Okay, but know I am giving you the phone bill for the minutes I am using up." The boxer said as his large friend in the motocross helmet tapped him on the shoulder.

"Alec... you let me use your phone on the way here so I could sing to my daughter." The large man said.

"Josh..." Alec said as he paused for a second. "The only reason I let you Sing Joss Stone's "I had a Dream" to little Elfie is that Cindy needed to get her have a nap while Gem got her shower." Alec said as Aneli just got up set.

"Will you two hand over the freaking phone through the door you two idiotic over testosteroned, dip shit parents." Alessandra yelled as Joshua pushed Alec away, throwing him down in the process. Joshua picked up the phone from Alec shoved his hand through the door and shoved the door, the floor bolt and the door chain out from his path and came through the door with such forced that he could have been an entire SWAT team as Aneli and Alessandra fell on their behinds.

"Here... Talk with Nanushka..." Joshua said as he planted the phone in Alessandra's hands. "I try to be the best parent I can... I am a Transgenic... A Nomalie.... my daughter is an X... so is her mother..." People freak when they see me... Nan and OC have not freaked... No Trippen... I will be outside the door." Joshua said as he walked away... "Um sorry door." Joshua said as he embarrassedly moved by the bent metal door and backed out like he had inadvertently stepped on the tail of a cat. "Sorry... Oh... Boy... I'm really sorry about the door."

"Aless... You there?" Nan's voice said loudly over the phone. "Aless could you take the phone away from your puffy boobs and speak to me." Nanushka said as Aless and Aneli just looked at the large figure exit through the door with a level of embarrassment that bordered on the line of surreal.

* * *

"Okay... Let me get this straight... Nan sent you.... I mean how the heck does she know about transgenic she can trust." Alessandra said as she donned her white blouse and jeans... 

"Well... Nan is kinda of dating Cindy..." Joshua said as Aneli in her white leggings and tight black top that made her large breasts seem like they were normal sized as she studied Joshua... but it was how he was behaving around her and Aless that made this unusual situation they were in seem normal... Yeah Joshua had a face that was a cross between a golden retriever and the wolfman... but it was his eyes... they had such innocence to them...

"So... Nan is doing the nasty with some Tranny girl." Aless said suddenly realizing that she had made an insult to the large Dog man before her... "Sorry..."

"Cindy isn't a Transgenic... she is an Ordinary... like you..." Joshua said as Aless started to understand that she heard the Transgenic slang for a non-engineered human. "Max... her roommate is an X... and my friend." Joshua said as some of the information started to set in.

"Oh... So..." Aneli started to process the information...

"Okay... here is the Reader's Digest version of things." The boxer named Alec said as he moved between Joshua and them...

"Josh here... Knows Rita... Old Bastian's art dealer... Now Rita goes to Josh after old Bast's death asks for help... now Logan a friend of mine does a little digging and figures out that old Tuscany Apple here..." Alec said as he pointed to Aless, "...was one of the models that posed for Bastian's paintings Then it goes to Cindy where we head to Nan's place and sort through your laundry so Josh here can pick up your scent. Oh... Nan knows that you stole her blouse and she wants it back." Alec said as Aless just looked at the guy...

"Dog Boy here sniffed my panties..." Aless said with disgust... as she looked at Joshua...

"I didn't sniff your panties..." Joshua said putting his hands up... "Too smelly even for me, I went with your shirts... Joshua said holding back some of the truth knowing Gem would kill him if she ever found out.

"Oh..." Aless and Aneli said in unison.

"Listen... we need to get out of here... If Logan is right... Marrow and his bunch are after you so moving you to a different location might be a good thing." Alec said as Joshua started sniffing the air...

"Alec... T-Blood..." Joshua said as Alec tensed.

"Ah Crap..." Alec said as he reached into his jacket and pulled put his S&W nine Millimeter handgun.

"What is it???" Aless said getting worried...

"I think Marrow's boys found you." Alec said as he picked up a long floor lamp and unplugged it before handing it to Joshua. "Josh... Do a cover and run with one of the girls. We'll meet back at the car." Alec said as Aless started to hold tighter to the baseball bat she had. "Listen ladies it is high time for a bug out... Now leave anything you don't need, take whatever personal effects you have on you that can trace you back to any possible place you could hide out at and lets move."

"Listen... Aless I need you to go with Joshua..." Aneli said as she looked at the large figure.

"Buy Why?" Aless said with worry...

"I don't know... but it seems like... Aless" Aneli said as she took Alessandra's soft face in her hands. "I think that you two are on the same wavelength." Aneli said as Aless's brown eyes looked into her Ukrainian friends eyes... "Man oanyarble xepeßrbi Motherland hanpabqrhot bac b zto bpemr bozmoxhocteñ Bbi rgroko Tuscan. May the wild stallions of the Motherland guide you in this time of challenges you Tuscan apple. "

"Aneli... be careful you Orso polare Polar bear ." Alessandra said leaning into her own native Italian. With that Aneli kissed her on the forehead. And Alessandra responded by kissing her Ukrainian friend on the lips. "I have a bit of your breath in me... Stay alive so that I can give it back." Aless said as she moved by Joshua. "So... You're a dad... So what's your child like?" Aless said as she picked up a screwdriver in her hands.

"Small... but she means the world to me." Joshua said as he stood by the door.

"Joshua... ready..." Alec said holding onto Aneli's hand and he checked the door with her periscope. "Okay... clear for now. Move." Alec said as Joshua took Aless and had her piggyback on him as he blurred down the stairs to Alec's car.

"Wow you guys move fast." Aneli said as she saw how fast Joshua was moving.

"Heck... he is just a prototype... the X7's. Trust me... they go a heck a lot faster than me and him." Alec said as he pulled out his Gun and started to see how many were coming their way. "Shit..." Alec said as he looked on as several shabby Goth looking individuals came around the corner... All carrying assault weapons. "Okay... Looks like we have to do a run...." Alec said taking hold of Aneli's wrist. "Hold on." Alec said as he walked a good distance out away from them before he decided to duck behind a nearby car with Aneli as he peered around the corner with her periscope. "Man talk about getting top gear dirt cheap." Alec said looking at he clarity of the lens. "Okay..." Alec thought aloud trying to figure out his options. "Lets see, Joshua and Aless are in the car.... We need to get in the car without drawing attention to ourselves so we need a distraction." Alec figured as he put his Non-linear multi-tasking brain to work.

"What type of distraction... it ain't like you are going to go out and reach someone." Aneli said as she worried. Alec looked back at her and saw the massive breasts digging into his back. Who ever this Bastian guy was... he did like his cheesecake girls.

"Well how about placing a call to all the phones in the area at once." With that Alec pulled out his cell phone and started to scroll through the memory card in the phone and found a dialing program he needed. Suddenly all the phones in all of the rooms of the hotel started to ring like mad.

"What the heck did you just do?" Aneli said as their pursuers turned to wonder who the hell was calling all the rooms.

"A distraction, lady... A distraction." Alec said as he moved with her very slowly out to the car with her as he shoved his jacket under her shirt. "Walk like you are with a kid." Alec said as he coached her as they moved by the people after them and bailed into the car.

"What took you guys so long???" Aless said as she looked at Aneli in the front seat.

"Just had to take the long way around." Alec said as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot before anyone knew they were gone.

* * *

"Logan the guys showing up at the hotel were T-Bloods." Alec said over the landline at the restaurant they had stopped at to check in. 

"Well Alec... I need you to get back here to Seattle, but you may want to hide your car." Logan said as he looked at the scroll of police reports in the area for sudden appearances of any descriptions of Alec's car. "I'm sending Luna up to you in her van... You know what it looks like." Logan said as he started to scroll through listings of the various T-Bloods Melfina had gotten for him out of the Transgenic Retrieval team's database.

"Yeah, I know what she looks like... heck Danni has been staying at my place for the last few days since she walked in on her and Domo doing the Karma Sutra on her freaking couch." Alec said as Logan shook his head of good grief... "Okay..." Logan said as Phil started to meddle with a video camera and started to adjust it so that he could pull more images out of the holographic plate. "Well she is on her way there, so stay put with the Gambo sisters and I'll see what I can dig up on helping you guys out..." There was a spark of inspiration that hit Logan as he looked at Phil for a second.

"Listen... see if you can get Joshua to help sketch out a few images of the perps that were trailing you guys. I'll see if I can dig something up on my end." Logan said as he started to think of ways for Max to help him.

"Will do Logan..." Alec said as he hung up the phone.

"Okay, check in, in about an hour." Logan said as he hung up his phone. Just as Logan was putting it down he knocked over a can of soda by the phone that rolled a good three feet before hitting another old half filled can of soda... Quickly using his reflexes he reached out to stop it from hitting the floor. But there was something different this time around when he caught it... his arm had just blurred and going from the phone to the can in less than a second and he had not even spilt a drop of the old drink.

"Logan is there something wrong?" Phil said coming in the room.

"Nothing..." Logan said as he looked at his hand... "It was nothing Phil... Listen why don't you finish working on the hologram plate and we can share notes in about an hour." Logan said as he brought the soda to his eye level.

"Okay..." Phil said heading back to adjust the camera some more. As Logan looked at his hands worried.

"Shadow you said that there would be side effects to the cure, you didn't say I would blur." Logan said with concern.

* * *

Rain was standing in the T-Blood's shower... The water going down her lower back felt great... Jim that tiny mechanical genius knew how to make a shower that worked. Thank heaven for small favors, she needed them she had recently talked her boss into letting Amber join the restaurant staff. Amber was needed to earn some money to help with the upkeep of the Church... Despite how much Rain and thought of being a street urchin... Max had been right... You needed to find a purpose in life and find it. 

"Rain..." Amber said as she patted on the shower curtain...

"Yes..." Rain said as she moved her arms to cover her breasts... "...What is it?"

"Do.... do you think that I did well today?" Amber said as Rain was caught off guard by Amber's question.

"Well... It did well for someone that was learning the business. So don't fret... in a few days you will be in the groove of." Rain said as Amber burst into the shower and lanced her on her left shoulder and dove her head into the wound. "Amber." Rain yelled as she was thrust against the shower stall wall.

"Amber. Let go." Rain said as she started to pound on Amber's body to get her off as Amber started to suck harder... with desperation Rain realized that she needed to get on top and knock the wind out o Amber so that she could get free. So Rain followed a move she picked up from hanging with Melfina... Rain moved her leg and she swept it under Amber's leg and swung in ward and knocked Amber off balance long enough so Rain could push her forward so that she landed on top of Amber and was able to get free.

"So... HUNGRY..." Amber said as she lashed out and grabbed Rain's leg with such forced that Rain fell to the ground. Using all of her might Rain took her free leg and started to kick Amber in the face rapidly...

"Why don't you let go..." Rain saying each word of that sentence with a kick until Amber was rendered unconscious. That was when Hottie walked in on her crutches...

"What the hell happened here?" Hottie said as she hobbled over Rain and they both saw a line of blood coming from the bite mark on her leg and the clavicle of her shoulder.

"Hottie... call Shadow..." Rain said moving over to Amber.

"Rain... What is going on here?" Hottie said leaning against the wall as she adjusted her injured ankle.

"Amber attacked me in the shower... I sense that she was a little bit when she came in..." Rain said as she moved her hand down to reach at the wound on her shoulder. "But... I didn't know that she was out for blood." Rain said, as she got scared as she started to see Amber twitch on the floor.

* * *

TBC 

Chapter 6: Gambo connections, and the Marrow


	7. Chapter 6: Gambo connections

Sorry for taking so long to update this story. I have been busy with work and other things. I have finally been able to take time out to finish up this chapter. So for all of you who wanted me to do an update… Well I have done it. Hopefully next time the update won't take as long. (like over twelve months)

Be warned that this chapter does contain mature imagery not suitable for minors. This chapter is rated "M" for Mature Images and themes.

Now on with the story.

Chapter 6: Gambo connections and the Marrow

* * *

Shadow was sitting across from Amber as Valerie Shookcar came into the TC Clinic. Amber looked like shit. 

"Shadow... we need to talk." Was all Valerie said as Shadow got up and moved across the medical bay until they got to the office and Val closed the door behind him.

"What is it Val?" Shadow said as Valerie moved to the computer display on the office wall.

"Shadow... It's about Amber's blood." Val said as she tapped the touch sensitive film on the screen to call up a chart of the blood gas analysis of the various chemicals, DNA, proteins and viruses that existed in the universe of a single drop of blood. What he noticed or didn't notice caught his immediate attention. "She doesn't have any of the normal endorphin levels in her body."

"Yes... but it is this that I wanted to look at." With that, Valerie brought up another chart. "Amber's body is not suffering from endorphin loss... she is in the mother of all withdrawals and given how she attacked Rain... her body is sucking the proteins and enzymes out of her body to keeps itself together." Valerie said as she looked at the strapped down T-Blood female. "Shadow... Whatever Marrow had her on wasn't the same blood drug that Rain and the rest of the T-Bloods were on." Valerie said as Shadow looked back at the chart.

"Yeah... and whatever it is, it makes what Rain and the others went through look like it was a mild case of the sniffles." Shadow said as he pondered on what to do next.

* * *

Rain was scratching on the bandage on her leg as she sat in the waiting area. She was scared... more scared than the time she learned the truth about the meaning of the barcode on the back of he neck. Was what was happening to Amber going to be in her future? Would she become a crazed blood-sucking addict that would grab innocent people off the street and start to rip into their flesh to get her next fix of blood? Rain reached and wrapped the edges of her leather jacket and pulled it tighter as she shook off the cold of the outside Seattle weather. The more she thought about her parents... her Mom and Dad... She had family... Now she wished she had stayed with them as she closed her eyes so that they could stay warm. 

"A penny for your thoughts..." a voice said as Rain had to open her eyes to see who it was. Looking up she saw Melfina.

"Hey Mel... what's up?" Rain said as she kept her hands close to her as her shirt and jacket had found the warm section under her breasts.

"Nothing much... I heard about what happened to you." Mel said as she handed her friend a hot cup of Tapioca flavored Chi.

"So you know about the... 'I van ta suck your vlood' thing that went down with Amber." Rain said as she rotated the hot cup in her hands.

"Some... Mostly that she attempted to bite you." Mel said worried. "Did you... Did you know what set her off?" Melfina said as she looked into her Human-Transgenic Hybrid friend.

"I don't know... one moment we are talking about how her first day of work went... then." Rain changed her tone considerably, "I become the humanoid equivalent of a mega chug slurpy." Rain said as she started to scratch at the bandage on her shoulder.

"Well... Do you want a shoulder to lean on?" Melfina said as she sat down by her friend.

"Yeah... But are you afraid of me deciding to go all Gurr on you." Rain said worried.

"Rain... I am part eel, you bite and you will be knocked out cold with one shot." Mel said concerned. "Rain... your my friend... you saw me when I was in heat... if this gets worse... Well find a cure or a way to help you deal with it." Melfina said as she leaded against Rain.

"Mel I am so scared..." Rain said tearfully.

"It's going to be okay Rain... Okay." Melfina said as she rested her head against Rain's. "It's going to be okay."

* * *

Over the centuries, any society will develop shifts in its ideology. No matter if it religion or politics, a change will occur. Now three members of a faction of the Familiar species were meeting in a deserted factory. They were scared... 

"Sir... Given how the Conclave has been behaving the Familiar people... US. We are in deep shit." A woman in her thirties said, as she looked at the other two in front of her.

"Yes. Given that if the Conclave continues its activities... The Transgenics will given their skill will come after us all..." The Man in his thirties said, as he looked at the two o f them.

"No Shit Sherlock..." The woman said looking at the documents that she had on he handheld computer. "... I have the feeling that if the Conclave continues being fucked will be the last of your problems... I mean Four-five Freaking Two beat the shit out of two teams of Phallic warriors... TWICE..." The woman said as she scrolled through the images to one of her sister and the small girl in her arms. "My sister is so afraid of the Transgenics coming an killing her child... She..." The woman got choked up... "She tattooed a barcode on the back of her child's neck hoping that if the Transgenics ever find her... she prays that they will let her live to have daughters f her own." The other members of the Familiar's group looked at her with shock and understanding.

"I have heard rumors as well about other Familiar parents doing the same thing to their children... My own daughter stood in front of two mirrors so that she could trace a barcode on her neck... I thought that she was scared... or was being rebellious..." The man said as the feeling of dread started to set in. That was when an aid cam in and tapped him on the arm.

"Sir ... I got this off of the comm. net." With that the young female aid in her simple blue dress and long brown hair made her look like she would be suited to being an student in college or a dancer rather than a secretary. When she handed him the message... he went white as a sheet.

"What is it?" One of the group spoke up. The blood was still draining.

"It's bad..." Another said...

"The Conclave just attacked a Transgenic program in South Africa..." the man said, as he just stood there numb...

"We have to make contact with Four-Five-Two... Tell her that..." the Woman was halted by a hand being raised...

"Tell her that the Freeborns exist... that our Familiar brethren must be stopped for the sake of all." The eldest said as the aid put her hand on her belly...

"Sir... I just learned I was with child... I don't want... I don't want to lose..." Everyone in the room understood.

"Make the plans ready... Put a team together of who you think can handle the job and possibility pass for Transgenic X-series or otherwise." The man said as he moved over and hugged his aid to let her know things were going to be okay. It was the Human thing to do as she started to cry on his dress shirt leaving a trial on number seven mascara on it.

* * *

Max was sitting by the medical bed that had Amber laying on it. She looked so fragile... Max attempted to sort through her actions as leader, but had none... Amber for better terms was a Civilian. Max almost laughed at herself when she thought that, but it was the truth. Amber had none of the Manticore training... none of the pain or emotional trauma of being raised in that hell. But Amber was a Transgenic none the less due to her mother being paid to be a surrogate to carry X-series or maybe Nomailies. 

"Rain..." Amber said in her semiconscious state... "Did... Did I..." Amber attempted to move but was held down by the straps on her bed.

"It's okay Amber... you're going to be okay..." Max said as she stroked the girl's hand. It felt clammy from the sweat.

"Rain... I need water..." the girl said as she licked her lips... Her body was craving fluids. Max moved over to pick up a pitcher of water that had been treated with salt and electrolytes and poured it into a paper cup before turning and propping up Amber's shortcut blond head so that she could sip the salty yellow colored water. The water started to go slowly as Amber's top lip started to bind at the top of the cup so that the fluid could drip into her mouth.

"Easy there... you're body is still lacking fluids." Max said as the girl focused on the water going into her mouth...

"My mouth feels like the inside of a bike tire." Amber said as she squinted to see Max.

"Rain..." the girl said as her vision started to get clearer, then she saw Max. "... Max?" Then Amber started to get up, "What are you doing here? I had the strangest dream that..." That was when Amber was stopped by the strap across her chest. That was when she got scared and started to pant like mad.

"Amber..." Max said as she put her hand on Amber's chest... "You attacked Rain while she was in the shower..." Max said as she could see in Amber's eyes the flashes of memory that were coming back towards her... Hunger... Wanting the taste of blood on her lips and in her mouth. She could feel the softness of Rain's wet soapy naked shoulder. Then she remember being on the floor with Rain... biting at her friend's... Amber got scared...

"Did... did I..." Amber was scared as she bit the bottom of her lip. Hoping to whatever deity was out there that had pity for Transgenics or the genetically altered.

"Noo... you didn't kill Rain, but she did kick you in the head before you let go of her leg." Max said as Amber relaxed some but was still scared. "Amber..." Max said as Amber turned her head away from Max. "Shadow and Dr. Shookcar did some blood work ups on you... your attack on Rain was..." Max tried to put this to the young T-Blood as gently as she could. "Amber... Whatever Marrow did you... you had a relapse... and you."

"I went for blood... I wanted to taste blood... I wanted to feel alive... I could feel the salty-coppery taste in my mouth..." Amber said going into tears... "I'M A MONSTER... I DIDN'T CARE IF SHE WAS MY FRIEND... I WANTED THE BLOOD IN her..." Amber started to break down... "Oh... God... I'm a monster..." Amber said as Max leaned over and hugged her...

"It's going to be okay..." Max said as a slow sobbing took place. Behind Max Rain stood looking at the scene.

"Amber... I hope that you..." Rain said, as she was unable to complete the sentence. She was scared about what would happen next as she scratched at the bandage under her clothes.

* * *

Boddicca lay in her bed... the back of her neck itched from the tattoo she had gotten... Talk about a pain in the neck. How the fuck did the Transgenics deal with these tattoos on the back of their necks was beyond her knowledge. Her mother a very muscular Phallic warrior had become disgusted with the council... when it came to the choosing of her mate. The Freeborn were nothing much than a rebellious movement against the stiff rules of the Conclave but, she had been born among them... She was a Second Born... Somehow, she had lived through the birthing progress and survived. But having the infamous Sandeman there at your birth, well she felt safe knowing that he had a Second Born as well. 

"Bodie... Bodie..." A young child voice said as she came into her room and started to jump on her bed with excitement. Bodie just thrust her head under the covers just to avoid the onslaught but decided after a pair of small, very bony knees landed on the calf of her leg that throwing her pillow at the child would bring her a moment of peace. So taking her slender and well-developed hand she took a handful of her pillow from her head and flung it at the child.

"Moreana..." Bodie said as the child ducked out of the way...

"Bodie... you were going to take me the aquarium..." the little girl said as she moved around Bodie's bed and kneeled down on it. Bodie who looked at the child with distain then with understanding knew what her responsibilities were.

"Okay Mora..." Bodie said as she took her well toned muscular armed and grabbed the child and started to tickle her.

"Bodie. That tickles..." the child called out as Bodie traced the scar line on the child's side that she had received during an accident. An accident that Bodie had caused in a moment of forgetfulness that nearly killed this child by a screwdriver being left on the floor of the garage getting launched at her when Bodie revved the engine of her motorcycle. Mora had been lucky that it only grazed her but seeing it made her think of the mortality of all life.

"Yeah I know, but for a child of the Shiede. I care about you very much." Bodie said as the child tickled her back along her broad almost feline cougar face.

"Bodie... do you want to see the tattoo my mom got me?" The young child said as her long dark hair drooped around her body.

"Tattoo? What tattoo?" Bodie said as she wondered what stick on tattoo this child's mother had gotten her.

"Um... Well she actually got me two... one that hurt and the other that doesn't." The child said as Bodied wondered what she meant... then the realization hit her.

"Was it a barcode?" Bodie said a bit scared...

"No..." The child said as she turned around and pulled up the sleeve of her shirt. "This..." On her arm was a mystical blue skinned woman just hovering over a stone... the imagery caught her off guard.

"Wait you talked your mom into getting that?" Bodie said as the child nodded no... Then what was the permanent one?" Bodie queried...

"This one..." The child said picking up the back of her long hair to reveal the words on the back of her neck written in ancient Sumerian.

"Do you know that they mean?" Bodie asked of the child.

"Mom said that if anything happened to her and you... to go to Terminal City and show these to a Transgenic... I don't know what they mean but... I wouldn't be harmed by them." Then the child turned around as Bodie was attempting to read the last phrase on the girl's neck.

"Mora... mind that I read them to you?" Bodie said as she looked at the last new symbols on the girl's neck.

"Yes, I do... what do they say?" The girl said staying perfectly still as Bodie traced her finger along the wording.

"Okay... it says..." Bodie had to remember some of the way this was being phrased. "Warbride... do not harm... this..." Bodie stopped and started to reread the text again. "Warbride do not harm this Shiede child... Mothered by the blood of..." Bodie stopped reading and felt a chill run over her body...

"Bodie... why did you stop? Whose blood? Is the Warbride going to drink me?" The girl started to get scared... Bodie continued to retrace the last few words... this wasn't right... but if it was then Mora was...

"Bodie... please tell me, I'm going to die aren't I... if a Manticorian finds me." The child said as Bodie reread it again... "Mothered by the blood of your ancestor." Bodie just shook as she couldn't move... What was Mora... was she one of the... now their bloodlines had been wiped out long ago by the great purge that brought the Third age of the Conclave into being when the great plague called the Black Death swept the world. If Mora was the child of... then... Four-Five-Two... would... Bodie's world was swirling around her.

"Mothered by the Warbride's ancestor... then... I am a... Manticorian?" Mora said as Bodie tried her best to control her breathing and not hyperventilate around the child.

"Now you are not... but you do share the same... Ancestor... think relative." Bodie said as she attempted to ease the child's fears.

"Like Mothers of my Mother and Daughters of my Daughters... that kind of blood?" Mora said getting up and hugging around Bodie's waist near the point of trembling.

"I think so... I don't have all the answers Mora... I think your mom put that on your back so that if you ever... if something happens... the Transgenics would take you in." Bodie said as she helped the young girl up and started to hug her... not so much for the child's sake but for her own... little did she know that her phone was ringing and the answering machine would pick up.

* * *

Nanushka sat in the back of the van... The dang blue haired Transgenic girl in front of her was drilling her eyeballs right through her head. 

"So Luna... how are things with Domo coming along?" Alec said to the tribal tattooed African Transgenic in the driver's seat.

"Well, given that Domo and I have been thinking about making our pairing more permanent, but since we alienated Danni a few days ago... I think telling Domo that I am with his child might kill the mood the next time we have sex." Luna said as Alessandra looked out of the window. Most of her feelings looking like they were about to burst behind the controlled wall of her mind.

"Reice... Could you cut that out?" Luna said to the young child.

"I was studying her." The blue haired girl said as she returned facing forward as they drove down the road. "Her form intrigues me... She is like some of the photos I see some of the males looking at. Luna... why do males like the size of a female's breasts?" The girl said as she looked down at her own chest and did and experimental grasp on her own developing breasts.

"Hey... it's a guy thing... But in some circumstances girls like Boobs too." Luna said as she attempted to change the subject. "So... anyone want to listen to any music?"

"YES." Was the chorus from behind her.

"Between Joshua and this X7 here, every teenaged hormone must be going into overdrive." Alec said as he attempted not to think about the female form. Nanushka looked at the girl in the front seat. Going from battle strategy to basic teenager must be murder on someone who was just getting their footing in human society. Now... the people chasing after them didn't seem so scary. It was the problem that this girl might want to experiment with how the plumbing worked before they got through the night.

* * *

Aspen was on the Beach looking out as Quinn, Grams, Komillia and her older Brother Orlando watched as Orca rode in on the wave she was riding. 

"Not bad for someone who weighs about a hundred and seventy pounds." Quinn said as the large big boned, slightly overweight blond woman coasted to shore on her belly. Her mostly black wetsuit had a section of white on it. Given her size the name of Orca just stuck, not as an insult, but more along the lines of a compliment to the sea predator for which she took her style from.

"How did I do?" Orca said as the southern twang to her voice made it apparent to where she was from.

"Pretty damn good..." Aspen said leaning over as she let the thermal dive shirt, she was wearing stretch as she walked with Orca to the shore.

"Do you think... well that I missed that sweet spot of the wave?" Orca said as her braided blond hair started to turn green.

"Noo... you didn't miss the sweet spot... you found another... and that is a real sign of a true surfer." Aspen said as Komillia leaned over behind her brother to dig her mixed dark Polynesian and African American foot into the off brown sand of the Seattle beach they were on.

"Komillia..." Aspen called out... "What do you think of Orca's ride?" Aspen said as the young child moved forward.

"She's good... but she needs to find the Force... The Sweet spots are easy... keeping them under you for the ride is hard. But for today... I say she gave one of her most Excellent runs. What do you think Grams?" The child said turning over to the eldest of the group. Grams.

"Well Komillia, she has the art..." Grams said as the young girl wrapped the beach blanked closer around her body.

"Well its official... you are now part of the tribe" Quinn said as he moved forward to shake Orca's hand. Orca who was in a semi state of shock watched as her hand shook from the cold as she took Quinn's hand.

"You mean that I am in?" Orca said looking up at the small group.

"Didn't we just say that?" Grams said as Orca's jaw dropped on the ground in shock. Then a moment later the extra busty blond woman gave Quinn a bear hug and spun him around.

"I'm in... I'M IN... I'M IN..." Orca said as she spun around. That was when a girl with shortcut red hair showed up wearing a purple techno wetsuit.

"We know..." She said as she moved down by Aspen...

"Aspen..." the girl said as she led the Transgenic aside. "... We have a situation in TC. The T-Blood want you to look after them knowing that you can do the whammy on them if they..." The girl said as Quinn shot her a sexy look.

"Okay... Listen, why don't you stay here and give Orca a walk through. Okay Kino." Aspen said as she wrapped her extra large beach blanket around her before heading and grabbing her changing poncho.

"Aspen... you know that me and Quinn don't have anything in common... I mean come on..." Kino said as her form fitting wetsuit started to cling to the back of her neck.

"You know for an X6 custom, he likes you and I know that you like him... So why don't you go and ask him." Aspen said, as she was about to leave.

"I'm not going to talk with him because." Kino didn't finish her sentence before Aspen used her powers on her and moved over and pulled the zipper down the front of Kino's wet suit to reveal the bare flesh she had underneath and to give a hint of the naked breasts underneath the rubber suit. Then Aspen did a little mental thing to Kino's mind.

"Kino... just talk with him... like or no like... just talk." Aspen said as she let Kino return to reality.

"No... I am not talking with him..." Kino returned...

"Kino... here is the thing, talk to him and he will leave you lone... Hell, go and kiss Orca on the lips if you want him to leave you alone... But talk..." Aspen said as she stripped her swim garments as the soaking cold wetness of the November Seattle air rolled off of her body and donned her sweats so she could head to Terminal City.

"Okay but I am going to hold you to one thing... After I talk with him and I don't like him. You have to do my laundry for a week." Kino said as she turned back to Quinn who was starting to blush.

"Will do." Aspen said as she said as she walked over and picked up her board before heading back to her bicycle and placed it on the carry rack on the back..

* * *

Max was looking at the documents before her on William Gilland, what she was thinking was chewing at her. Now how could a guy like this start working with Marrow? Between Marrow's use of his addictive blood on these innocent hybrid kids, how could a guy start feeding on his own people? It was at that moment there was a stir from the bed beside her as Amber rolled over. Max put the file down as she looked over at the young T-Blood. The girl looked like Hell, but given that Shadow had given the girl a chemical cocktail of hormones to help Amber through the worse of it but she had a long way alone. Max knew what it was like being on the other side of the fence and being here allowed her to take on the role of the big sister that Tinga, Eve and Jondy had been to her growing up. Then there was a moan. 

"No... Marrow... don't leave me to die... Just give me another fix." Amber said as Max moved her mover and placed a blanket on the girl's body.

"AMBER..." Max yelled towards the girl. "Amber wake up..." Max said as she shook the girl awake. Then with a shot Amber's eyes blew open in fear as she looked around nearly feral. Then as she searched the room for anything, that was familiar as she attempted to break free from her bonds. Then Amber locked onto Max's face and the realization set in of where she was at and tears started to run down her face.

"Max..." Amber choked out as she slowly started to sob. "... How bad is it?" Amber felt years of her pain flowing out of her and towards the surface in waves.

"Amber... you are going to get better..." Max said as she let Amber get the let her emotions out.

"Max... is... Rain going to hate me?" Amber said as she started to settle back into bed.

"No... However, you definitely owe her a monster apology for your actions... But she knows that it wasn't you." Max said as Amber turned her face away from Max. "But Shadow has run every test on you and that you will not have to worry about this... again." There was a pause from Max before she continued, "Amber... how long has it been since you last had anything?" She said as an audible growl came from Amber's stomach.

"I don't know?" Amber said as she started to look at Max again.

"How about I get you something to eat?" Max said as she reached over to dig through a pile of papers she had to pull out a had written sheet of what the Mess Hall's meals were for that day.

"Soup... as long it isn't red." Amber said as Max grinned at her.

"I'll see what they have today." Max said as she looked at the menu.

* * *

Alessandra was getting out of the shower... Boy did she feel clean. Well better at least... Eyes Only had taken up to her disappearance. Now how would she explain to her parents that he not only knew who she was but also he might know about her family's more illegitimate ways it earned their living. That was when she saw the blue pixie haired transgenic standing by the shower door holding out a towel. Aless let out a shriek as she stumbled backwards. 

"What are you doing here?" Alessandra said looking at the girl. The girl seemed impervious to her demands.

"I brought in fresh towels..." The girl said moving forward. "... That and the scent on the towels in here smell tainted and dirty." The girl said as she motioned the towel in her hand upwards.

"Oh... so... you came to give me..." it hit her... "Wait you mean that the towel that I was about to wrap myself in was..."

"Dirty..." the girl said as she tossed the clean towel so it landed far enough over Alessandra's shoulder that the rest of it covering her exposed body. "I will leave now..." there was a pause as the girl turned to leave as she stopped by the large bathroom mirror and reached up and cupped her breasts with her hands.

"Every female has larger mammary organs than me..." The girl said as she sighed as she let her hands drop to her sides and left the bathroom. Alessandra realized that this girl had self-esteem issues and viewing her own ample bosom had taken a blow this girl's psyche.

* * *

'Human designate Alessandra... Physical parameters of her mammary area show non-augmentation... "Natural jugs" as the males call them..." Reice wrote in her journal as she took her pencil and started to sketch Alessandra's nude form from the shower on the opposite page. Art had been her way of communicating with the non-X7 models of Transgenics... Drawing on a two dimensional surface took some effort but once she realized that she could communicate images of the past it had become simpler for her. Writing and connecting words not by computer was next, but since the information started to roll out of her onto these sheets of cellular fiber. When the elder X5 she was with was able to get her a surgical operation so that she could have an extra pair of vocal cords to communicate in "slow." But it was art that held her own interests... it was a long process but the images communicated her thoughts and feelings. Even the 0.0 Prototype had taken notice of her skill. He preferred paint but he commented that as her style progressed she was incorporating her emotional state into the images... 

Emotion... how was she communicating that... but it was information... was this information being piggybacked by some unseen subroutine that was in her fine motor controls of her hands or was it... something else... Ever since she had seen one of her kind executed on the revenue spot back during the day following the fire, Her mind did not want to move forward... But it was when a young PsyOp touched her mind and told her to stay alive and function that she had the will to keep going. Humans were an enigma to her and the other X7s but it was probably the fact that they were young. With that, Reice finished her drawing and returned towards writing in her journal.

'Physical growth of ones own mammary organs has been deficient even with the hormonal boost that has occurred within oneself. Even with the development of these secondary attributes, self has been worried as younger X8 model Fiona's organs have developed faster than ones own.' Reice wrote down in her journal as she craned her neck to relive the pent up pressure that was forming in her own muscles.

'X7 designate Lain's form has been slower to develop but the start of the budding has occurred. Even the males have been taking notice... Self's own emotions have started to become concerned over this physical development even after Self's encounter with Adolescent human male. Body warms with thoughts of his physical structure... even projected simulations of this individual's phalli have been creeping into one's mind.' Reice wrote as she curled her legs under her body and moved the notebook she was writing in and to a more comfortable position.

'X-series designate Original Cindy will have to be communicated with for further information about female thoughts. Even after seeing Human Designate Alessandra's mammary organs, self is worried that self is not developing fast enough. Self has started to picture Human female designates Aneli's nude form in an attempt to draw out the images needed to know why males are drawn to these structures.' Reice wrote as Alessandra came out of the bathroom.

"Listen I'm sorry about blowing up at you..." Alessandra said as Reice looked up at her and discreetly closed the notebook.

"You were startled by my arrival..." Reice said looking at the olive skinned young woman. "I was not able to recall at the time the social procedures that stated I needed to announce one's self in that particular situation." Reice said as Alessandra's eyes and brow expanded in a state of shock then understanding.

"Oh..." Was the simple answer Alessandra used. "So... seeing another..." there was a clear reference that Ordinary Humans were not used to causal nudity.

"Your form is more developed... Mine is not..." Reice said as she turned towards Aneli. "Her's is overdeveloped. I believe that her form would allow her to last longer between getting nutrients and possibility the cold." Reice looked back at Alessandra... "Your's is set up for water tolerance and sun exposure... Though I am unsure about your design." Reice said as she looked downwards towards the notebook.

"Wait... is this about you being bummed about not having larger breasts?" Alessandra realized what the girl was talking about. When the words leapt from her lips Reice looked back up at her in shock. "Whoa..."

"Do you think I am underdeveloped?" Reice said as she started to move away from Alessandra.

"No... Hell no... I think you are... Hey... Puberty is hard enough when you are a kid without all the extra bells and whistles they probably tossed into you..." Alessandra said looking at the girl.

"Hey don't worry I was a late bloomer." Alessandra said as she reached out and touched the girl's hand. "And I turned out fine."

"I'm a "Early" bloomer." Reice replied back in an attempt to place a reference to delayed grown and early growth.

"Oh... then... Wait..." Alessandra looked at her as she was trying to process the information she was given. "Then the reason you are so bummed is because... Because you haven't filled out yet?" Alessandra looked at Reice.

"Filled out as in Developed... I wish to know what my body is going to do next? Was I designed wrong... or is my state something the designers set up for me before I was created?" Reice said as she started to avert her eyes from the Ordinary human. With that, Alessandra moved over and hugged her by the shoulder.

"Don't worry..." Alessandra said as she slowly started to stroke though the X7's short hair. "... Your body is going to do what it wants on it own schedule and there is nothing you can do about it." Alessandra said as she started to realize how hot a Transgenic's body could be when you were actually touching it. "All you have to do is weather the hormones as they come." She said as Reice slowly looked up at her.

"Then not damaged..." Reice said as a small tear started to creep out of her eye.

"Not damaged..." Alessandra replied back as Reice moved forwards into a studying mode.

"Tell me about your physical development... I could use the references..." Reice said as she slowly placed a hand on some of Alessandra's exposed skin and started to trace the ordinary's nose with her fingers.

"Well... tell me what the other Transgenic children think of you?" Alessandra said as Reice tilted her head and a low-end vibration started to work it's way through her body.

* * *

Logan was sitting at one of the computer terminals inside of Terminal City and Max looked like hell. Marrow... There were things that set off Max that she took personally. One... People who were preyed upon by scum that brainwashed them with the thought you couldn't escape... Second, people that took advantage of children... 

This Eyes Only case had both... and if Max didn't handle this right, it would destroy most of what she was attempting to build here in Terminal City. Logan knew it was time to call in Clemente and tell him what was going on. With him, Otto and Max working together the shit storm that would follow would be mild, but there would be support in the end. There would be the occasional ranting by the Reverend Jerry Caldwell with all of his Anti-Transgenic Rhetoric, but several members of the Transgen Council realized that if they kept old Jerry in a position of separation, then they could use him as a thermometer to track the various Anti-Transgenic groups in the area. In essence... Jerry would be their way of tracking down anyone that would want to hurt Max and the rest of the residents in Terminal City and with the proper use of the Brainics Jerry would be at least ninety before he would finally give up. But to get back to the business at hand, where would Marrow be hanging out and how did a guy like William Gilland get hooked up with a scumbag like that?

* * *

Rain and Hottie were walking through Terminal City... given that a decent section of the residents were mostly nocturnal creatures mid-day was fairly quiet. 

"Rain..." Hottie said as she hobbled forward some on her crutches.

"Yes, what is it Hottie..." Rain said as she looked over at her fellow Female T-Blood.

"Do... do you think that whatever happened with Amber will happen to us?" Hottie said worried...

"I don't know..." Rain said as her head sagged down... "I mean Shadow said that what happened to her might be..." She was getting scared.

"I mean being a vampire isn't so bad... But I have a boyfriend and I don't want to blackout while we are in bed one night and wake up in a pool of his blood." Hottie was scared.

"But if... if it is something else... Something that Marrow did to us and..." Rain looked up into the early winter Seattle Sky. "I don't know..." Then there was a loud ka-thunk as something was hit... hit really hard.

"What was that?" Hottie said realizing that they were not alone.

"I don't know..." Rain said as the followed the noise. boom... boom... Thud...POW.. thud... thud... thud... BOOM... with each step they took the sound was getting louder. Suddenly as they approached one of the old warehouses, a punching bag went flying through a window. They jumped back realizing that whomever was beating the crap out of something happened to be punching this bag.

"Fin'o stol that piece of crap..." A male voice called out as a man lunched through the window and proceeded to continue pounding the punching bag.

"Lock me up... take away years of my life... Destroy everything father made me for..." the man yelled out as he took his fists towards the punching bag until tears started to form as sawdust, cotton wads and straw started to fly out.

"I hate you... I hate you... you piece of fucking shit..." the man said as he blurred his hits faster and faster on the punching bag. "God..." the man said as he fell do the ground in the now obliterated punching bag. Both Rain and Hottie were scared now as they looked at this figure who had gone from completely feral to now exhausted.

"C.J..." A female voice called out as a rather busty X-series came out of the now perforated window and kneeled down beside him so that she could cup her hands around his face. "... It's going to be okay. "

"It won't... Brit... It won't..." C.J. pounded the mass again before he gave up. Then the girl kissed him as she pulled herself to him.

"C.J... You were there for me... I want to be there for you... you have to let this go... not completely... But let it go... for me... I want to be your mate... your wife..." Brit said as she hugged him tight. "I lost my child... Biggs... I... I don't want to lose you." There were tears starting to run down her face as she forced the edge of her chin into the crick of his neck. For a long time she stayed like that until C.J. brought his arms up and hugged her back.

"Brit... I will let got of this now... just for a little while okay..." C.J. said as Brit brought her hand up behind his head.

"You swear..." Brit said as C.J. started to rub her back with his hands.

"Yes... Brittany... I will." C.J. said as Rain and Hottie watched this unfold.

"Um... listen if you two are going to want some private time..." Rain said looking at the couple, who now realized that they had an audience forming around them as they pulled away and saw several figures looking through the demolished window.

"C.J." Brittany said as she helped him up. "Want to get cleaned up and help get a new window for the..." She hinted at the broken glass they were sitting in.

"Yes... that would be permissible." C.J. said as he brought one of his hands up and looked at it. It shook a little before he made a fist with his hand and opened it again. "I'm getting a little better."

"Okay... so after we get the window..." Brittany said as she took his hand into her own.

"Snugglies..." he winced a grin.

"Snugglies..." she said back with a grin on her face.

"Um... C.J." A tiger Striped X-series girl said as she looked through the window. "If you wanted to know... you just broke five hundred pound support chain... that's a record... you beat out Joshua by at least fifty feet." The stripped girl said as she dropped down a broken link of chain.

"Okay... New window, chain... Should we go to at least a thousand pound strength... or more..." C.J. said as Brittany looked at him blushing...

"C.J. what would they think... okay chain and then snuggles..." Brittany said as they both got up and they snuck away... That was when Rain turned towards Hottie...

"Okay... if 'snuggles' means what I think it means... then I am out of here and I don't want to be anywhere near those two when they start banging the gong..." Rain said as she attempted to force the images coming to mind out of her head.

"That's an understatement... I'm more into the Tantric department." Hottie said as Rain just shot her a look.

"Information I did not need right now." Rain said as she started to look only in one direction... Straight ahead of herself as she walked away.

* * *

Hannah was looking at the various garments before her. 

"Asha you have such pretty garments." Hannah said as she brought the fabric of a silk scarf across her face. "So soft..." She said as Asha moved into the closet.

"I'm glad that you like... most of this stiff I found here and there." Asha said as she brought up the new fabric of the dress she was working on.

"You make your own garments Hannah said as she realized that several of the garments had no labels on them.

"Well a few..." Asha said as Hannah moved over to a garment that was hanging only by threads. "Some things I like doing is clothing design. Sometimes when a girl needs and the stores don't have it... you make it."

"Including this..." Hannah said as she pulled out a dress which was made out of fishnet. "Why would you have a garment made of out threads used to catch fish in?" Hannah was getting distressed looking at the fabric remembering being caught in the fisherman's net and having no way to get out of it.

"Um... That is for..." Asha got a little uncomfortable as she attempted to sort out her next words... "In home use... I wear it so Alec and I can have some intimate moments." Hannah looked at the fabric then at Asha...

"This garment is used so you and your mate can... mate..." Hannah felt wired as she looked at the dress as her language skills broke down and she swapped to her native chirps and squeals.

"Hannah..." Asha said as she moved over to the water breathing Transgenic. "... Some times a woman needs to feel..."

Hannah let out another series of chirps and squeals as she looked at Asha as she went into Asha's closet again looking for another garment.

"Hannah..." Asha called out as she went into the closet and pulled Hannah out. "Hannah..." Asha said looking at Hannah. "... Would you give me a moment? I know that you are scared because if I remember right... you were snagged in the same type of material. You felt trapped." Asha said getting worried and biting her lip. "For me... the symbolism is..." Asha blushed... "Hannah... I play a mermaid... a water breather and Alec is there to rescue me..." Asha was now emitting a lot of heat from her body. "I kinda of pretend to be... you..." Hannah looked at Asha as her jaw hit the ground.

"You pretend to be... Me..." Hannah said in shock... Asha was getting very uncomfortable mostly because of the mating talk. "So this garment is..." Hannah reached down where she had dropped the garment and looked at it and realized that the night she had seen Asha for the first time after she had been rescued was when Alec and Asha started to show feeling for each other...

"Asha... you didn't consider Alec as a potential mate until the night he and Max rescued me." Hannah said looking at Asha.

"Not really. I mostly saw him as a friend but... after that night and seeing you with your..." Asha got a little uncomfortable remembering the image of Hannah's young.

"My young..." Hannah finished with a squeak at the end.

"Yes and tending to his wound... something clicked..." Asha said looking at Hannah as she leaned against the wall as a grin stretched over her face. "He was a gentleman that one time I got drunk and didn't take advantage over me." Asha was growing warm and Hannah could feel the head waves.

"You are growing warm..." Hannah said getting worried. "Are you Ill?" With that, Asha slowly opened her eyes.

"No... Just remembering Alec's touch across my skin." Asha looked at a picture that she and Alec had taken together at an old photograph booth they had found at an arcade at the pier before looking at Hannah and growing concerned. "Hannah... listen... how long have you been out of the water."

Hannah reached over and touched her face and felt it's dryness. "It has been awhile. I need to get wet." Hannah said as she looked around Asha's place.

"You can use my shower." Asha said moving to a door and opening it up. "You better undress out of your street clothes... it would be a little weird if people saw you dripping wet as you leave here." Hannah moved into the small room. Humans had such weird notions about needing to wet down, but she humor Asha as she undressed and stepped naked into her shower. Turning the knob, she felt the chill of fresh water patter against her skin. So many thoughts rippled through her mind as she caressed her hands against her naked belly. She had seen how bloated the land walkers had become during their carrying of their young... did Richard see her as bloated... They hadn't mated in weeks... maybe because of the crisis to get Terminal City and other Transgenics off to safety... but mating nonetheless... Though breeding season was months away... she wanted to feel Richard inside of her... she wanted to feel him spoon against her and feel his hands against her bare flesh... how he would tickle that area just behind her gills with his nose.

"Asha..." Hannah called out. "Asha..."

"Yes Hannah... what do you need... Soap... a wash rag... sponge?" Asha said peeking head in.

"Asha... after I get out... I wish to try on the mesh garment you have... I want to learn how landers..." Hannah didn't know the above water words to describe what she needed to say.

"Oh... you want to know how to turn on the sauce in your love life... okay..." Asha said coming in.

"Yes... this Sauce you speak of..." Hannah said a she turned around to rub her flesh to get rid some of the dry stickiness to it.

"Okay..." Asha said as she disappeared out of her hearing range.

"Asha... Nani liked the new swim garment you made for her... she said it is more flexible..." Hannah said as she let her body take in unfiltered watered oxygen into her gills. Hannah moved forward, opened her mouth, took a mouthful in, and swallowed.

"Asha... you have good tasting water here... not as salty as in Waterdome... but... it has a bit of a sweet taste to it." Hannah said as she cupped her hands and let the shower water collect in her hands before taking another drink.

"Hannah... if you have a moment I'll get you a towel..." Asha said as she came in with a towel.

"Asha... I don't need a towel... I'll let the water soak in." Hannah said as she turned off the water and shook some the water off leaving her hair wet.

"Hannah... I..." Asha stopped in her tracks when she Hannah coming out of the shower nude. "OH... " Asha yelped as she looked at Hannah's form... "I wasn't expecting you to..." Asha just looked at Hannah's' form. "Wow... Hannah... under that body suit of your's you hide a lot of..." Asha's eyes traced over Hannah's body. Hannah was starting to feel uncomfortable. It was like the time she was a child and the personnel would have her disrobe to be examined.

"You find me ugly?" Hannah said as she covered her body with her arms... Quickly Asha rushed over and gently touched Hannah's' shoulder...

"Hannah...No" Asha said being compassionate. "Just that... come over to the mirror..." Wit that Asha slowly moved Hannah over to the large full-length mirror in the bathroom. "Hannah... your not beautiful... your are Gorgeous..." Asha aid as she slowly peeled Hannah's arms away from her body... "I would kill to have a body like yours." Hannah turned away from looking at her own body and at Asha... "If Richard thinks you are ugly... you come and tell me and I will beat him senseless with a stick until he comes to understand that you..." Asha looked Hannah up and down again. "Wow..." With that Asha left the bathroom and grabbed the fishnet dress. "Here Hannah try it on... I know that the fabric brings you bad memories but just try it on." Hannah turned and looked at Asha.

"No. I cannot... this is yours..." Hannah said getting worried.

"No. Just humor me and try it on..." Asha said as Hannah touched the dress.

"How do I?" Hannah said as she attempted to slide it overhead like a shirt...

"Wait... you step into it." With that, Asha took the dress, unsnapped the back, and handed it back to Hannah. "See the hole... you put one leg in and you step in and pull it up." Asha said doing an imaginary mime of the same garment and Hannah got the idea as she stepped into it and she slowly pulled the garment up her body... Hannah noticed that she started to fell... exited... it was until she reached the top she noticed that she needed Asha to strap it together.

"Asha. Could you..." Hannah motioned to the back of her neck.

"Yeah... Hannah." With that Hannah moved her head down and Asha strapped the dress together and Hannah looked at herself in the mirror and moved back to see her form.

"I look like..." Then she saw Asha's jaw on the floor. "One of those females that did those mating dances when I was..."

"Hannah... you look better in that dress than I do." Asha butted in as Hannah looked at her naked flesh that was now being hinted at under the dress. "Okay... If that doesn't give an erection old Rich then nothing will."

"I look so..." Hannah looked at her body... unsure if she looked attractive. "Strange."

"Hannah... tell me a little of what makes you feel romantic. You have to have that mindset when wearing something like that." Asha said as she noticed Hannah was having hard time breathing. "Need more water?"

"Yes..." Hannah said limping back into the shower and turning the water back on and started to breath normally again.

"Hannah... Tell me about what makes you feel... sensual... loved... cared about." Asha said as she sat on the toilet.

"I don't know... I love to sing... but there was this one mission where when we were young, I got my leg stuck and Richard came to free me. He held me in such a way that despite all of my fears I felt safe..." With that Hannah started to tell her tale... as she did the dress got more comfortable to wear. Asha was right you needed the right mindset for this garment. Maybe that is why land walkers loved to mate when they were out of season... When Hannah walked out of the shower again Asha said she needed another perspective and called her friend Cindy.

* * *

Reice looked at the human... she just blinked... "Not different..." 

"Yes... see... not everybody has the same physical build... so what if you have small boobs... you are going to bloom in your own time. Even there are folks that like small boobs..." Aless said as she nudged the young Transgenic on the head.

"Then... not a design flaw... but be being..." Reice as attempting to process this data...

"Human... come on... I got made fun of because I had big boobs when I was young... so what you barely a hand full... just wait a few months..."

"Hands full?" Reice looked at her hand.

"Here..." with that Aless took Reice's hand and placed it on the young transgenic's breast. "See... just use your hand as a reference..." Reice looked up at the copper skinned woman.

Reice squeezed her had against the cloth... "Then..."

"If you feel comfortable with your body... then... you are you..." Aless said looking at the girl.

"So... I am human? This is my human side... then..." the girl was struggling... "I will be different... unique..." The girl was almost in tears...

"It's going to be okay... I mean... you are becoming a person in your own right... you have your own feelings... your own motivations... hey do you have someone that you like?" Aless said as the girl looked up at her.

"Um... an Ordinary... Male... I kinda of like him... he ran into me... I thought he was X... but he was human... made a joke... he... touched me and I touched him... felt strange... like insects flying in my stomach..." Reice said pondering what this meant.

"You felt like you were flying, but scared..." Aless said looking at the girl whose eyes shot off shock... "Don't worry... it's perfectly normal... so what's is his name?" Reice looked at her a little scared but realized that after a moment that it wasn't anything threatening, it was just normal girl talk.

"His name is Riven, but my friend Fiona wants me to talk more to him... I am hesitant... Not used to..." Reice was getting unsure...

"Talking with kids your own age..." Aless said looking at the girl and she just grinned. "Okay... do you own a dress?" Reice looked at her and thought hard.

* * *

Gilland was pissed... Transgenics... possibly Eyes Only Transgenics were at the rendezvous point... Shit... he needed to work off some of this frustration... He moved over to his worktable and started wetting strips of papier-mâché. 

"Damn idiots..." he said as he looked at the semi-nude body of the drugged model he had propped up. Most of her form was being supported by a series of steel cables that were holding her in position. He wasn't an artist but this was his kink... He would hire women who were on drugs and sedate them up so that he could cover them head to toe in plaster or papier-mâché... the process would take days but putting a feeding tube town their nose was the first thing he did before he doped them into a state of ecstasy... They didn't mind the restraints much but when it came to them having to go... well... that is why he used catheters... then he would cut them free after he had scanned them and put them on their way. Most lived but a few… well they were part of his collection of mummies.

So far, he had covered the girl's arms. Legs and the supporting strap across her chest and head so that she was in a wild Hindu dance position...

" Gilland..." Marrow said coming into the room... Shit... what a way to kill the mood. "Will you listen to me?" The Transgenic said as slammed down a plastic bag... "I need to know why you have taken my resources to do your..." Marrow pointed to the woman in the restraint. "... Kinky sex life." Marrow said slamming his hand on the steel table.

"Well let's see... The cops were about to pick you for several murder charges... Not to mention the rape charges of what you did to one of your own." Gilland said as she moved over to the bucket and pulled a strip out and laid it against the oiled flesh of the mounted woman. "Also Might I add... without my technology... that your Black Tar Heroine blood of yours would have made your current batch of followers OD faster than your last ones... There are so many of those Hybridized kids out there..." Gilland said as he moved over to get another strip of sticky newspaper out of the bucket. "As I see it You need my help to lay low, and I need your... shall I say Unique talents from time to time to help my out with my own personal activities."

"So... I'm in a scratch your back and you scratch mine... Situation here." Marrow said as he walked over to the girl and took her throat in his hands and felt of her pulse. "Um... you know... you could cut down on some of the sedative... her body temp is running a little on the cool side." Marrow said admiring the woman's partially encased body.

"I'll take note of that..." Gilland said feeling the woman's forehead before reaching over to pull a skullcap over her head and giving it a good coat of oil. "So any leads about those two Transgenics that were at the hotel?" Gilland said continuing with his work.

"Nothing yet... given operating procedures they would have probably dumped their vehicle now and sought an alternative means of transport." Marrow said as he watched Gilland work. "So what do you get out of this... little thing you do to women?" Marrow asked.

"Well... I love the beauty of the human body... So since, I cannot do the art of a master... I collect... but this..." the pointed to the woman as he caressed a section of her exposed back and buttocks... "Is intimate... I let them free after I am done, but I do keep them a few days... and..." With that, he pulled out a remote control... and a row of lights lit up. "I scan them..." Marrow looked at the row of translucent transparent statues stood before him. "For my collection. I love replicating the forms of the greats, but India... Oh India. They knew how to put life into those statues." With that, Gilland leaned against a nude form of a nude busty statue wearing a necklace. "The girl for this statue took three weeks to mold before I set her free after I did the scan. She died over a year ago... If I am right from an overdose. She was going to be a mother... the child... well the child..." Gilland grinned cheerfully. "Is sitting in some orphanage waiting to be adopted... I hope she isn't... I want to copy her form when she gets older." Marrow just shuttered...

"I'll look into finding those girls." Marrow said as he left the room. "Humans... such weird creatures..."

"Marrow... Tell that mate of yours... what is it... Mary... that I loved the taste of her hair." Gilland said as he broke out a spray bottle and proceeded to spray the woman's head with oil before he tapped a few controls on her nutrients system to increase the drug mix to her system.

"Yeah... right... you stay away from her and I'll give you more of what you need." Marrow said as he left. "If I had a female in that position I would be fucking her before I killed her." He whispered under his breath. "Humans... the main reason this planet is so fucked up."

* * *

"Logan... This is Alec..." Logan heard over the phone... "Listen... how far have you started digging into this murder of this Sebastian guy? I need to know. Okay... Logan Tell Asha that if things go well, I'll be home in a few days and I'm ready to say 'yes.' She'll know what I mean. Oh, and Joshua wants you to tell Gem and Elfie that he will be back about the same time as us... Oh... Logan... you will have to do the Panda dance... Gem will walk you through it but it is the only way Elfie will go to bed." 

"Tell Logan that Joshua is worried about Gem... that hopefully with Shadow cure... they can get busy with it"."

"Joshua... " Alec yelled.

"Well this is Alec signing off from the Safe house. If you heard Joshua's last statement Logan... I think everyone wants you and Max to get Laid..." There was a pause... "Well Alec signing off." With that, the line went dead.

"Okay..." Logan looked at the phone. "... Now all I have to do is stop a potential gang war from erupting on the street..." Logan said sitting down in the command chair... "Well old friend, it is time to don the mask once again." With that, the let the system start a search for optimum broadcast range.

* * *

Segri was pacing around his den... Now for a Russian crime figure doing such a thing would be a sign of weakness... But... As a father... It was the only way he could work off the energy he had built up. 

"Boss..." Ninska said looking at his boss. "I know how worried you are man... I have kids of my own... I mean if anything happened to them. Hell you wouldn't have second thought of helping me wack the guys..." With that, Sergi stopped pacing and walked over to his Bar Globe and opened it up to reveal a large bottle of imported Vodka and several glasses. He twisted the lid off and tossed it to the way side and poured himself a glass to the point where it was overflowing. "Boss..." Ninska said rushing over to take the glass from his employer sloshing its contents all over the place to the point where a forth of the glass wound up being on the floor. "... Listen boss... me and the gang are going to turn over every last stinking stone, rock pebble, in house, outhouse, hen house, swine house, nook and cranny in this city and the entire coast. If she is out there we will find her." He said as he pushed his employer against the wall. "Now... I am your employee Segri... and your friend, now if you let me take care of this... I can keep up your façade in front of the other bosses and let you be the dad you need to be." With that, Segri lessened his hold and his stance towards Ninska and leaned against the wall losing one battle so that he could win a war.

"Okay..." Segri said as he let his guard down for a moment as events were put into perspective. He was being driven by every paternal instinct in his body. Suddenly Rustam rushed in from watching his cable sports.

"Boss" Rustam yelled out almost panting as if he ran the mother of all one hundred yard touchdowns during the playoff of the Five A CFL in his expensive suit and Mariner's sports jersey. "You better come in here..." He said as he tried to catch his breath.

"What is it Rustam?" Segri said looking over at the sports fanatic.

"It's Eyes Only... Boss..." Rustam said as he finally caught his breath. "... I think he has a lead on where Nanushka is?" With that Sergi attention was fully on him.

"Where did you hear about this?" Sergi said as he marched over and placed his hands on Rustam's shoulder's just far enough away that if he had too. He could strangle the guy.

"Boss... it was on his last cable hack just a minute ago... I have it recorded on my Tivo..." Rustam said fearing that his boss was going to kill him.

"Show me..." Sergi said as him and his boss moved slowly back to the den and Rustam was sweating fearing if his on-air digital recorder didn't capture EO's feed he was one very dead man.

Once in the den Rustam hit the rewind button, it took a moment for the blurp of the Streaming Freedom Bulletin to appear, it took a moment for Rustam to hit play and the feed started to play.

"This Cable Hack will last thirty-seconds, it cannot be stopped, it cannot be traced and it is the only free voice left in this city. I am sending a Message to Sergi Csokas... My operatives have located the missing member of your family that you are looking for... She is safe... You will be contacted shortly with where to pick them up at. I believe that we are pursuing the same individual that has been causing trouble for the fair folks of Seattle and attempting to hurt this member of your family. This has been a streaming Freedom Bulletin. Peace. Out." Eyes Only's words hung in the air. Then the phones the house started ringing.

"I believe that I have a call to pick up." Sergi said as he picked up the phone and listened to the voice on the other side.

* * *

TBC: 

Chapter 7: Gambos... Pasta... Familiars... and Art Critics...


	8. Chapter 7: Gambos, Pasta, Familiars, and

Sorry about taking so long to update this story, I have been a little busy with my life, I have had school, work, vacations, weddings, car problems and the usual need to work on my novel. You know the usual things that keep writers occupied, along with other fan fiction stories.

Well I give you the long awaited and long delayed next chapter of HDCC,

All characters owned by me, except for Eddie, who is a creation of Brin, who lent her to me on a temporary basis. Well enjoy,

Remember, any flames or raves, can be sent to my review folder.

Parental warning: This chapter does contain nudity and referneces to it.

In other words... There are a lot of hormones raging in this chapter by the various characters so be warned

* * *

Chapter 7: Gambos... Pasta... Familiars... and Art Critics...

* * *

Bally Park and her clone Miranda were looking at each other in the mirror. 

"Bally... I know that this is a little weird but..." Miranda said looking at her clone. The same Asian features, the same brown eyes... Hell even the same part of brown hair.

"You're wondering about the dimple." Bally said looking at her "sister."

"Dimples... as in..."

"The ones on our ass... yeah those..." then there was a door opening up as C.J. and Brit walked in. "Hey C.J. Hi Brit"

"Hi twins..." C.J. said as he came in with his well-worn book bag. "So you two still fighting over Halo."

"Yeah..." the clone girls said at the same time.

"Okay..." C.J. said as he rubbed his now bandaged hands. "So the fallout from the Mon ne she'va qua is still going on. So... On which body parts are you gals on?"

"Um... we are currently on dimples." Bally said looking at her double.

"So dimples on your cheeks or..."

"Actually we are working from the Gludious up." Miranda said giving her a scorn.

"So... pretty much you are trying to find the differences to see who is the most unique so that one of you get's the guy." Brit said looking at the twins. "Oh come on... your clones... even nude... you are identical... except for your barcodes... so the only difference the two of you have is your personalities... So to resolve this little issue... Work together and have him choose between the two of you... if all else fails find his clone and flip a coin." Brit said putting her foot down. The twins looked at C.J. and Brit in shock then they grinned as the thought came to them.

"Ohhhh..." they both said at the same time.

"Heck, it should settle the differences." Brit said as the twins eyed each other.

"Thanks Brit for the Idea." Bally said as she and her clone nodded in quite deliberation.

"It should work... I mean... if all else fails... We get to find a Mr. Right out of the deal." Miranda said nodding in agreement.

"Your right... I mean... Helo is a nice guy and at least one of us will wind up with him." Bally said in agreement. "Now what do you want to wear to get these guys attention." With that, C.J. and Brittany left the room to leave the twins to their plans and fantasies.

* * *

Shadow as looking at the blood results, the Transgenic immunity factors had eliminated the viral strain inside of Max's Blood. However, the variants would remain. As a result, the Specifically targeted Crap wouldn't be there. Now it was time to check on the Changed Lock on Logan's DNA. Using a blood sample that Shadow had taken from Logan cloned a few cells to active maturity so he could have an active tissue culture to deal with the virus. Now he waited for the cells to interact together. 

After several moments, he watched as the viral material attempted to destroy the cells but the white blood cells had received their programming and destroyed the invading organisms. Now the tissue test was coming up... and the virus moved and... Shadow watched what happened next. The virus tried to enter the cell but to look around trying to find a way in, it tried once but it decided to leave the cell alone. No replication of viral material within the tissue cells or the blood cells as the white blood cell went in, grabbed its scrawny little but out, and ate it. The little bugger had just realized that someone had changed the locks on its sorry little butt and unleashed the hounds to have a nice fresh extra meaty meal.

"Lock changed you little sucker, and it is unlocked on Max's genetic chastity belt." Shadow said as he prepared the next samples. It would take several dozen tests and retests to ensure that the fix had worked. Now all the questions would be after this would be where, when and how the deflowering would take place between Max and Logan.

* * *

Reice walked out of the shower. She had felt better after talking with Alessandra. She didn't feel damaged... She felt normal, as she looked at herself naked in the mirror. She rubbed her body down as she dried and felt every curve of her now developing body. She saw the curve of her hips and inside suck of where her ribs pulled in her belly and the slow and yet noticeable bulges of flesh on her chest. She reached up and squeezed one with her hand. It felt warm. Was this what Riven had felt when he... She blushed then she patted at it watching the flesh move in the mirror. Then she shook the top of her body. She just giggles. With that, she picked up her towel, placed it over her shoulders, and walked out of the room. That was when Joshua freaked. 

"Naked... you're naked." Joshua said as he adverted his eyes from her. It took Reice a moment to realize that she wasn't in Terminal City any more as she looked around the room to see the dropped jaws of everyone there. That was when she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

"Warp towel around body when not in TC." Reice said suddenly looking down at her feet before she moved over and grabbed her tote back and walked back into the bathroom. "Sorry." Reice said as she closed the door. But Alessandra put her foot in the door.

"Reice..." Alessandra said as she barged on in. "Listen... I know that we are just humans... but it seems like you are more at ease with you're..." Alessandra stopped speaking when she saw the back of Reice's body. "Oh, my God..." Aless said as she moved over and very hesitancy touched Reice's back.

"I have Chiroptera DNA." Reice said as she relaxed as she felt Aless's fingers trace her back. "I am not ashamed of it."

"Chiroptera... like bat... as in I Vunta to Suck Vor Vlood... bat." The last part came out as a squeak. Reice noticed this and turned around slowly.

"Actually Fruit Bat. More sociable in their tracking skills." Reice said, as she got uncomfortable as she started to bite her lip. "Also... Blood kinda of tastes real yucky to me. Makes me want to puke." Reice said as she leaned against the counter sink.

"Ohhh." Aless said as she looked at Reice. Reice wanted their friendship to continue.

"Um... listen... I really need to get dressed and given how Joshua freaked, he hasn't had too much experience around... well unclothed Females." Reice said as she unzipped the bag and pulled out a jumpsuit and a pair of undergarments. "Aless..." Reice said aloud. "Um... thanks for the talk... about my body's development." Aless looked at Reice as she noticed the young transgenic crossing her feet onto one another.

"Yeah... I'm glad that I could help." Aless said as she left Reice to dress. After the door had closed Reice turned back to the mirror and once again at her body. Would Riven behave the same way that Aless did when she had seen her 'wings'? Reice turned around and looked at her back in the mirror. Would humans see her kind as anything more as monsters? With that, she grabbed her undergarments and pulled them on before she pulled on the blue Jumpsuit she had gotten out of the bag to cover up her small genetically engineered body.

* * *

Asha looked at her place. Between Hannah and her spree of doing dress up, the two had gotten to know each other better, even telling dirty little jokes about the other's mates. But it was the mermaid costume that Hannah had found to be interesting. Asha had worn it for a little bit flushing her fake tale around before Cindy and Nan had shown up. Seeing Max's friend. Asha had fallen off the bed she struggled to get the tail off. But realizing the bind she was in all Asha could do was blush in embarrassment. 

"Your clothes are built for you in water, but on land you are like fish gasping for water." Hannah said moving over and helping Asha off of the floor.

"I know..." Asha said with embarrassment. "Can you help me get this tail off?" Hannah grinned and helped her unzip the sides of the tail off of her body.

"You know Asha... I suspected that you and old Golden boy did stuff to greet each other in the mood but being the damsel in distress was somethin' I never suspected." Cindy said as Nanushka looked at the fishnet wearing Transgenic before her.

"Um..." Nanushka said looking at the streamlined form of the Gilled Female Transgenic. "Is it just me or has every Transgenic that I have seen have gills?" Nan said as Hannah looked down at her gills through the mesh dress and felt the fluttering tissue that hung right under her ribcage.

"The only ones that have gills were built for water. I was made for water." Hannah said as she helped free Asha's legs finally from the tail and taking Asha's underwear with it.

"Eeak..." Asha said as she grabbed a pillow from her love seat and covered her privates realizing that her underwear was now somewhere inside of the tube of cloth that Hannah had in her hand. Blushing madly, Asha grabbed the tale and quickly skirted for the bathroom. All Hannah could do was watch Asha'a behavior with curiosity.

"So..." Cindy looking at Hannah. "You must be the mermaid that Boo told me about." Cindy said walking over and looking Hannah over head to toe. "Um, Um Um Ummmm." Cindy said eyeing the figure and taking a long time on Hannah's behind and on her breasts.

"What is it?" Hannah said looking Cindy worried. "You find something wrong with me." Cindy took offence at this.

"No... Girlfriend... Just that you are defiantly Manticore... Well figured, fine ass and breasts women would kill to have..." Cindy said she seductively caressed Hannah's bare arm. Hannah wondered what was going on. "Don't you agree Nan?" Cindy said looking sexily over her shoulder. Nan's jaw was on the floor.

"Um... They make you... Um..." Nan looked at the body... "Athletic..." There was heavy blushing going on.

"Hey Cindy..." Asha called out as she came out of the bathroom wearing a thick bathrobe. "So what do you think of Hannah's dress?" Asha said as Hannah was getting a littler uncomfortable.

"Um... well considering that Hannah here has a body that I would kill to hump her brains out of in every room of this apartment building until she turned lesbian or I died of exhaustion." Cindy said with a sly grin. "Asha... you were right... the Dress looks great on her so that she and her Hubby and do the down and dirty." Hannah realized that Cindy was talking about her and the dress. "Girl you know how to make dresses and other things that will get a guy's or in my case a Gal's attention." Hannah looked up at Cindy.

"You prefer females?" Hannah said looking Cindy up and down.

"Yes... It is my preference, I know that you have a Merman stashed somewhere, so you came to As ha looking for something sexy to wear to add the spice to your relationship as well add a little dissert too." Cindy said as she grinned. "So let me guess the two of you are having a lingerie party and you invited us to be your queer eye for the straight girl?" Cindy said as she looked at the various garments that had landed on the floor. Nanushka reached down to pull up... she didn't want to know.

"Um... Asha... "Nanushka said looking at the garments. "What do you and Alec do when you are not bonking each other?" Asha blushed and grinned.

"Well... I do like reading poetry. I mean after the Entire S1W thing and the mixed up book. Alec thought that I loved poetry, but actually, I love novels. But he did start reciting the stuff. But he is more of a musician at heart with the choir of songs he has sung to me to announce his love for me." She pointed towards the long eighty-eight key electronic keyboard that was sitting in the corner. Cindy looked over at the keyboard and noticed the various pages of complex sheet music sitting on the stand.

"Um. Asha... Why is there sheet music for Harry Connick Jr. on the..." Cindy never finished her sentence as Asha rushed over to the stand.

"Um... because he is a piano Crooner... and you can't beat the classics." Asha said as she closed the notebook.

"Okay..." Cindy said as the phone started to ring. It rang several times until someone punched in a key code and it swapped to a specific mailbox.

"Asha... it's Logan... Listen when you get this Alec will be back in a few days from the mission EO sent him on. Oh one more thing... Alec said that he said yes to your question... whatever that meant. Well I will get into contact with you soon. Logan out." With that, the line went dead as the phone left its timestamp on the message. Asha just stood there with her jaw on the floor.

"He said yes... he said yes..." Then as her brain started to catch up to speed, Asha rushed over to the answering machine and replayed the message...

"Asha. It's Logan..." Asha hit fast-forward until the words scrolled by at breakneck speed. Then she hit play. "Alec said that he said yes to your question." Asha hit rewind again. "He said yes to your question." Cindy and Hannah moved over. Asha was crying...

"Something wrong, kitten?" Cindy said as Asha turned around and there was a faint smile forming as she grabbed and hugged the stuffing out of Hannah and Cindy.

"He said YES..." Asha screamed at the top of her lungs... Both Cindy and Hannah reeled back from the blast of sound that they had revived.

"Yes... What was the question?" Hannah said as she tipped over and dragged the three of them to the floor. With the wind knocked out of them. Nan ran over to see if everyone was all right.

"Is every one okay?" Nan said working Asha off of the top before helping the other up off of the bottom.

"Yes... Alec said yes..." Asha said jumping up and down like a five-year-old on Christmas day.

"Okay Kitten..." Cindy said looking at the girl. "Let me take a guess... Alec said something that is making you be seriously in love?"

"He wants me to move in with him." Cindy said looking around.

"Okay... you have gone to being serious." Cindy said as Asha did a spin around the room before falling across the couch looking dreamily into the air as her robe opened to reveal more leg and thigh than it should.

"Um... Love..." Asha said as if she didn't have a care in the world. All Hannah could do was stand there.

"I feel like I need a shower." Hannah said as Nanushka looked at her.

"You too?"

* * *

Juman was passing through the sector checkpoint heading into Terminal City. Her dark olive skin contrasted well with her curly Black hair and dark brown eyes. On a few occasions, some of the new arrivals had thought of her as being Four-Five-two, but she only giggled. All she wished was to get to one of the newly constructed Greenhouses that had slowly started to be built to supply food for the slowly growing numbers of Transgenics. For some of the Desert combat models, it had become a sanctuary from the increasing cold of the coming Seattle winter. For her, she loved the way that some of the hydroponics bays had been turned into a rudimentary park. But it was sunning under the heat lamps with a few of the other females that made life manageable. Ever since she had a mission in Europe where she had been able to relax on a European beach in the nude, She knew that lying naked under the warm light of the sun made her feel... for lack of a better word. Human. However, with winter coming she desperately needed to feel the warmth against her naked skin. 

"Hey Juman..." Felicia and Eddie were rushing over to her. "Heard about you making part of the gardens into a all female sunning room." Felicia said purring.

"Yes... I did... listen... you have to get garden detail just to have the time up there." Juman said walking through the old garage that many of the Ordinaries had started to call the 'Valley of the Ghosts'.

"Oh..." The two female cat Nomalies said looking at her.

"Listen... I have crop duty tonight." Juman said as she stopped to lean against one of the concrete supports. "You can come, but dress so that you can peel stuff off in layers and bring plenty of water and a towel with you." Juman said heading off to command to check in.

"Will do?" The two cat said as the scurried off. Juman just watched as she saw Felicia's tail curl around Eddie tailless body.

"Sisters..." Juman said as she watched Max walk around that was when she decided to head on over to her. "Max..." Juman called out. It took a moment for the Current Leader of the Oh'Niners' to hear her.

"Oh, Hi..." Max said as if she was off in another world.

"You okay?" Juman said as she looked at her fellow Transgenic. It took a moment for Max to speak back.

"Nothing..." the lie on Max's face was plain to see. Juman gave her a sour look and Max wised up. "Oh Okay..." Max said, as she understood. "Listen I have been having a lot of problems... I mean with a T-Blood getting severely sick... a renegade Transgenic on the loose. A doomsday cult out to kill me..."

"You feel like if the world would just for a few hours would decide not to butt in on your life… you would have a sense of a normal life, and do the things everyone else does. Such as getting seriously laid." Juman said as Max's jaw hit the floor.

"Yeah... is it that obvious?" Max said looking at Juman after a moment to recover herself.

"Yes it is..." Juman said looking at her. "Listen... me and a few of the other females are heading up to the Greenhouses tonight to have some warm quite time. Want to come?" The question sat in the air. After a long while Max replied.

"Listen I can't..." Max said as she tried to move away but Juman grabbed her arm.

"Listen Max you look exhausted... you need some time where you can relax. Chill with folks, talk about your problems, and get seriously plastered on Sakei Moonshine" Juman said looking into Max's eyes. "Why don't you delegate some stuff? You don't have to do this alone... we are a people... You don't have to bear the weight of the world all on your shoulders... sometimes you just need someone to come along and say. Can I help you?" Juman said as she watch Max look at her and she understood.

"So... here is a question... are you a PsyOp?" Max said looking at her.

"No... Hell no I am not one of those mind-bending jobs... I'm just plain old, one hundred percent normal, non-neural augmented X-Series." Juman said as she patted Max on the shoulder. "If I am seeing the stress on you, then the others are seeing it too." Juman's words hit home for Max. How long had it been since she considered herself normal...

"Listening, all I am asking of you is that you spend some time with some of the other's so that you can have a few hours where you can just be yourself and not ashamed of what you are and be normal... I mean mostly we spend time in a sauna talking about things in our life, boys, sex, and a few other things. Now it would be good for you to feel normal. And... Me and the others could help. We are a unit and we are only as strong as long as we are a team. And right now you need to have Team Juman to help you out." Juman said as Max begrudgingly gave in. "Now right now, how comfortable are you with your body and being completely naked?" Juman said letting Max stare at her as if she had grown another head.

* * *

Bodicca walked into the warehouse, it had been a couple of hours since she had gotten the call on her phone. It was one of the Freeborn leaders who she had gotten into contact with. She had been summoned to attend some meeting. As she walked through the vacant warehouse, she saw that it was seriously empty. That was when another figure came in. A young woman with reddish brown hair that had been braided together into a series of dreadlocks. Between the amounts of fleece, she wore in the jump paints and the shirt she wore screamed that she was an outdoors person. But it was the fear in her eyes that made Bodicca stop in her tracks. 

"Mothers and daughters..." Bodie said but she got thrown against one of the walls of the warehouse before she could finish. A Mind Walker... Bodie tried to get up but she got tossed around again. As Bodie slid across the concrete floor she quickly started to think up a plan of escape. Quickly after Bodie stopped sliding she jumped up on her feet and started to run away from the Mind Walker. As she felt her body start to lift again, she grabbed a steel support beam on the side of the warehouse with all of her strength she could muster and screamed as her body started to be lifted into the air.

"Mothers and Daughters... Fathers and Son... we all follow the War Bride." Suddenly Bodie felt her body fall to the ground.

"For I am the War Bride... the destroyer and creator." The girl said back as she rushed over and helped Bodie up. "I am so sorry about that. I mean when I saw you I thought that you were one of those beast Transgenics." The girl said as she helped steady Bodie to her feet. Bodie looked at the girl. She was shaking like mad.

"So... you didn't let me finish my sentence... when..." Bodie didn't finish as she understood why she had been attacked.

"Listen, I heard rumors that the Transgenics have some sort of mental shielding." The girl said as she looked at Bodie up close.

"Oh... so you were so afraid to read my mind to make sure I was a Familiar." Bodie said as she looked at the Mindwalker letting the unfinished thought be concluded in the Mindwalker's mind.

"Yeah... I mean ever since that Blue haired girl took down one of our kind with that... that time slice move she did..." The girl said as Bodie understood. The young Transgenic girl with the dyed blue hair had become feared for that single skill that many Mindwalkers where on the shoot first and ask questions later. Among the Transgenics, the Familiars feared what series The Blue Haired Demon girl had come from, was she a single one, or from a series that demonstrated a greater power in mass numbers. Many of the Mindwalkers had started to have nightmares about her enmasse. Next to Four-Five-Two, this girl shook many to their core, and not the type one would want to fuck with in a one on one encounter.

"I hear you." Bodie said, as she started to walk on her own. "So, what is your name?" Bodie said looking at the Mindwalker.

"Well My name is Olan Smith." The girl said as she shifted around. "What's yours?" Olan said wondering if she should be asking that question.

"Boddicca Absalom." Bodie said giving her name. It was a strange name but she didn't care.

"As in Boddicca the warrior queen of England?" Olan said looking at Body's arms.

"Yeah... Half-Phallic on my mom's side." Bodie said as Olan traced the muscles on her arm.

"It shows..." Olan shifted. "Not all that much... but it shows... you might be able to pass as an X-Series or maybe one of the beast types... you kinda of look like that dog guy." Bodie reached up and touched her face. She hadn't thought of it that way.

"Oh, I see that you are here." A man walked into view of them as he came through the door being accompanied by a young woman next to him. Bodie stood up the best she could.

"Honored One... what are you doing here?" Bodie said looking at the well-dressed man. Given how Olan was standing she had thrust out her chest so far that she could have beaned him in the head with her bra if the strap had decided to snap at that time.

"Well I am here to give your mission to you personally. Secondly... I want to keep the number of people who know about this to a bare minimum." He said as the girl next to him moved slowly over. Then it hit them, the less... then if they failed then... the blame would go directly to those sent on the mission they were going on.

"So why have you gathered the two of us here?" Olan said looking at Bodie.

"Actually the three of you." With that, the Honored One moved over and put his hands on the shoulders of the young woman who had come with him. "This is Jeanne; she will be going on the mission with you. She is my personal aid and she has full authorization from the Freeborn council to be my representative." Jeanne looked at him as if she wanted to run out of that warehouse at that moment and hide on some deserted island.

"Wait, she looks like she is about to bolt out of here." Bodie said as she moved over and gently hugged the girl.

"Yes she does... Mainly because she knows about the mission you are going on." The Honored one said as the mood started to get very dark.

"Okay... I'm not getting the feeling that this is going to be an easy mission." Bodie said looking at the Honored one who looked like he hadn't slept in a few days.

"You are correct... the three of you are going to be heading to Terminal City and see if you can get close to four-five-two." The Honored One said as Bodie and Olan looked at him.

"Are you nuts...? Insane... Smoking something that the Mundanes know about yet?" Bodie said putting her terms down, hell even using the term Mundanes in her sentence showed how much she was concerned. The Honored One looked at her and nodded. "You know that if we are found out the Transgenics will literally tear us apart." Bodie said putting down her opinion.

"Yes..." the Honored one said. "...But you do not know how serious things are for the Familiar people." He paused for a moment before continuing along his train of thought. "We are not asking you to kill Four-Five-Two... we are asking that you pose as Transgenics walk into Terminal City and learn what you can about the Transgenics and see if they are willing to negotiate with the Freeborn fraction... Not with the Conclave. We need to make the point clear that we want to live." The Honored one's voice started to crack under an unseen pressure. That was when Jeannean spoke up.

"The Conclave has attacked other Transgenic and super soldier programs around the world. Given the fury of how the Transgenics behaved in the year since... if we don't as a people sever ourselves from the Conclave then, when the shit rains down, we will all as a people will become extinct." Jeanne's words sunk in at that moment. Olan looked at Jeanne and walked over to touch her face.

"So... this is a mission to..." Bodie said looking at the situation before her.

"Stay alive... we are in a time of change... I believe it is the one that was Prophesized in our ancient texts... if Four-Five-Two is the WarBride reborn... then..." the Honored One's sunk in and the sentence needed not to be finished.

"So... you say walk in..." Bodie said looking at the team she was now part of before she continued. "If we are going to do this we need to know some of their cultural slang... terms they use. Barcode tattoos won't cut it if we are found out." With that the honored one handed them a compressed wireless flash drive.

"This is everything we have been able to gleam from our government contacts and local police officials that we have on contract." The honored one said as he handed it to her before he rubbed her on the shoulder. "I hope that it is enough for you to use so that you won't be discovered as quickly." With that, all that was left to do was to find a safe house to study the information and plan their next moves.

* * *

Marrow walked into his quarters and he was flustered as he sat down on his bed. 

"How was the meeting with Gilliand?" A woman said walking over to him.

"Bad... what was I thinking siding with a creature like him?" Marrow said as the woman started to massage his shoulders from behind.

"You were going with the best option you had at the time Marrow." The woman said as she gentility kissed him as she pulled back her dark hair.

"Piper..." Marrow said as he put his hand up to her face.

"Marrow... I am your mate... open up to me..." Piper said as she straddled him and pulled him onto her body.

"Gilliand is so much like the monsters that I was ordered to kill back at Manticore. I so much want to rip the flesh off of his face and dismember him." Marrow said as Piper started to kiss him.

"I know... Many of the other Bloods feel the same alienation to him. Two of which he wishes to do his fetish to..."

"Actually three... you made the drugged nude ass list." Marrow said as Piper started to work his clothes off of his body.

"Hummm... I don't know whether to be revolted or pleased. Well one way or another he will have his comeuppance coming towards him." Piper said as Marrow rolled around to look at her body. The small scar on her forehead mirrored the one on his. He bent down and he kissed it as she giggle lightly.

"Yes... But building up the strength of my forces will be my first concern... Gilliand is an expendable resource." Marrow said as reached out and squeezed one of Piper's decent sized breasts with his hand and noticed a small amount of milk bleed through the cloth of the sky blue dress she was wearing.

"But till then, you have to care for your troops and those who follow you." Piper said as she unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the circular scar right under his breastbone. She traced it with her fingers. "Now... remember what I said how I liked that small scar on your body... How you had to work in a piece of metal in so it would still keep its form so that I would make love to you." Piper said as Marrow reached up and slowly pulled down the straps of her dress to reveal her very ample bosom.

"Yes..." Marrow said as Piper reached down and undid his pants. "But being one of those Runaway Familiars... you didn't like the Conclave Nor siding with those Freeborns you were born to. You wanted strength..." Marrow reached down and pulled the rest of the dress off to reveal a very subtle round belly which he stroked before moving over to her caress a very firm buttock.

"Yes... You are only as weak as your weakest link. And it is high time for some new blood to be brought into play so the chain doesn't rust." Piper said as she swung her legs around his body to bring him into her.

"Yes... and our child is that new blood. now Piper let us have some sex." Marrow started to thrust into her.

"Yes... I am the new Eve... the New Venus... the new barer of the new lines." With that, Piper let nature take over. They only had only seven months to go till the new line was born.

* * *

Phil was walking around Terminal City... So many mutants... So many types... Maybe it was the differences that drew Max to these people. They all had superpowers even though they were cooked up in a test-tube. Phil walked over to a large board that had been set up along one of the cement walls. It consisted of a series of numbers and initials... It didn't take him long to figure out that TC stood for Terminal City but several others he had to work at to figure out what they meant. That was when he looked over to see a girl adding a series of letters to the wall. Next to a group of random numbers, she wrote TC. Then she moved over to place a flower at the base of another set of numbers. Around the flowers was the number X5-611. The girl started to cry some. He cautiously approached up to her when he realized when he looked up to see KIA next to the same set of numbers. KIA meant Killed. Then if MIA meant Missing. DOA meant... Dead... Then TC, NP, MBL, and SF could mean locations. That was when the girl noticed him. He didn't move he just let her be as he moved over and traced a number on the wall that was with the group belonging to X5-452. X5-626 KIA. There were several sequences of these groups of numbers that ran along the wall which he was walking by. It took him a while to realize that they were not concentric, but arranged in groups. Units... these were units. That was when the girl walked over to him. 

"You know 452?" The girl said wiping tears from her face.

"No... Not really... I heard that she was one of your leaders... Just trying to figure out what this wall meant." Phil said as he looked at the various groups of numbers. Some were completely wiped out while others just had blank sections.

"Blank means... status unknown... either they were on a mission and were not able to get back or that they are at another one of the bases." The girl said as she walked over to a section further away from him before she stopped. She traced a blank spot on the wall.

"Is there someone that you know who is missing?" Phil said as he took of his camera cap and stashed it into his pocket. The girl nodded, "So you miss him..."

"Her... Yes she was my friend. We kept each other company when we were inside of these walls." The girl said as she reached over and traced each number with her fingers.

"Oh and behind the walls..." Phil didn't finish the sentence.

"We could be free from the guards hearing us." The girl said as Phil was getting the feeling that the Transgenics had two sides to them. The one that they showed the world and one which the kept secret from it so that they could grow. "Now there are no guards... but be are cautious about who we speak to..." The girl's words stuck in his mind as he wondered how much Max Girl had in common with these people. Hiding what you were from the world and now finding a people wanting to break free of that hold and live in the open or semi-open place in the world.

* * *

Sergi was walking into the park. It seemed an unlikely place for a meeting but, it provided the ability for both sides to keep forces hidden in plain sight. He took a seat on the well-worn bench. Between the funds he had sunk into this place to keep it green and proper as part of his more philanthropic nature to keep things good with the community and build up the credibility that he was a nice guy. If people thought that you were a good person, then the odds of them getting jury duty and ruling in his favor were good. But right now he was a concerned father. Between wondering where his daughter was and who had put her on the run, he would A. be glad to get her back; and B. If any one had harmed her... well they would be made a part of the shoreline protective barrier ala... concrete. Then slowly a figure walked up to him. 

"Your name Sergi?" The man said as he handed him a piece of paper and walked away. Sergi opened it up as he reached for his cell phone.

"Call Ninska..." he said as the phone ran its voice capture bar and converted his programmed voice print and connected it to the number he had pre-programmed in. After a moment, the phone picked up on the other end.

"Yeah Boss." Ninska's voice said on the other end.

"Did you see the guy who dropped off the message?" Sergi said as he looked to see his fellow Gamboo look over at him.

"Yeah I did. Looks like he is just the messenger." Ninska said as he waited for his boss's next move.

"I'm going to read you the message he dropped off." Sergi said as he looked at the note. "Follow the white rabbit." This was about the time a blond woman on roller blades rolled up to him. She looked like any young attractive woman her age... She had a body if he was twenty years younger he would have asked her out and shown her a night of passion that would have made the Gods envious. What stood out about her was that she had a pair of white rabbit ears going along with her white body suit.

"White rabbit..." she said before skating off a little ways slowly.

"I think that I am supposed to follow her." Sergi said as he got up from the bench and followed her a short distance over to a payphone and watched her take out of her fanny pack a small cell phone type of object as she placed it on the phone and hit a button on the side. When Sergi finally caught up to her, the girl handed him the phone.

"I believe there is someone who wishes to speak with you." With that, she pushed off away from the phone and skated away. Sergi looked at the phone for a moment before saying "Hello."

"Hello..." The man's voice said over the line.

"Mr. Csokas... Your Daughter Aneli is safe." With that the phone was handed off to another person.

"Dad..." Aneli said Sergi's heart jumped a beat.

"Aneli... Are you okay... who is holding you... if they harm a hair on your precious little head... They will have to use DNA..."

"DAD!" Aneli screamed at the top of her lungs. "I am okay... Nanushka sent some friends to find me. She got in contact with a few Transgenics that her friend knows... and they tracked me and Alessandra down. I'm glad that they did because they helped to get us out of the mess when the guys that killed Bastian showed up.

"Dad... one of the guys that busted in when we were with Bastian, Eyes Only was checking out for some fraud or something that had to do with his Previous work at Manticore." Aneli said over the phone... "I know that Transgenics can be Scary, but... I think a few of them we can trust. Oh, and um... Dad... I'm pregnant..." Sergi's jaw hit the floor with Aneli's sudden change of topic.

"WHAT?" Sergi yelled over the phone.

"Dad... it's Bastian's... I know that you liked him... I mean you hated some of his artwork... But you liked his mechanical skills better... I miss him." a strong level of tears and sadness could be heard in her voice. "Listen... Eyes Only wants to prevent a gang war Dad between you and the other crime families... I think that this guy trying to cause something that will give him a larger claim on something n the area... I need you to help Eyes Only out... Hell, I'll come back to you right now when I get a chance... there is a revenue spot that Nanushka knows about that we used when we were kids. It's called Kroager... Bunny will give you the address to get there, if not you can Call Nan to double check it out." With that almost on cue the woman with Bunny ears gave Sergi a piece of paper with an address.

"Dad... me and Aless will be there talk with you soon and tell mom that she better break out some of my old Baby stuff." Aneli said as Sergi held his breath.

"Aneli... I love you." Sergi said as he her kiss him on the mike on the other end of the phone before she hung up. After a moment, Sergi turned towards Bunny.

"Where do we go?" Sergi said as he gave a signal to his men to follow.

* * *

Aneli looked at the phone... It felt good to talk with her dad. Over to the right of the phone lay the blue plus on the pregnancy test. She was going to be a mom. 

"So... what was it like to have parents?" Luna said sitting down on the bed across from her. Aneli looked up at the tiger striped Transgenic.

"Um... at times it can be trying... other times it can be good..." Aneli said as she scratched at her breasts...

"I mean..." Luna stopped speaking and looked at Aneli gnawing at her breasts with her nails... "Are your boobs itching like mad?" Luna's change of subjects made Aneli look at her.

"How did you know?" Aneli said as she started to reach under her shirt and shoved her hand right under her bra to stretch.

"I'm also pregnant... So... you know... Mind that I give you some advice. Loosen the bra and shove some folded toilet paper in there. Also lots of lotion." Luna said as she reached into her waist pouch and pulled out a bottle of lotion. "Here I have been using this." Aneli reached over and took the bottle from Luna. "My kid sister had the same problem."

"You have a sister? I thought that all of you were..."

"Cooked up in test tubes... yes but they had to use human surrogates. So like any human births, twins do occur. I had a fraternal sister. not all that much of a shift in Genetics just that she was a little smaller. I was always protective of her... even after she became pregnant from the breeding program. I kept her going and she kept me going as well." Luna said as a tear came to her eye.

"Oh... And since you are becoming a Mother... you fell like.." Aneli didn't know how to proceed next. How do you talk about well girl stuff when you are from two different species?

"Well the main thing is that I came on this mission is so that I could have some space... I mean... between pissing off one of my roommates by me having a set of heightened orgasms on her crotch being induced by my boyfriend." Luna said looking away and towards her belly that she slowly rubbed.

"Oh..." Aneli said as she reached down and rubbed her own belly. "So... The pregnancy sex has... um." She sucked her lips into her mouth so that she could bite the outer edge of them. "Begun..." Luna looked up at her.

"I feel like I'm in heat... not like full heat, but more like a low simmering heat... I want to be naked at times with Domo snuggled up to him feeling the texture of my skin against his... Other times... I want to feel warm. Kinda of like..."

"Like being in a warm bath with all of the most elegant and best smelling oils, soaps, and lotions dripped all over your body..." Aneli said as she looked at Luna... "Yeah... I know the feeling, other times you just want a warm blanket and someplace dark with plenty of food and just not move, and probably someplace where you dream of sleeping on your belly."

"I personally sliced a hole into a mattress of foam rubber so that my sister could sleep on her belly." Luna said looking at Aneli. "I mean she slept for over three days. The only thing she complained about after that was wishing that I could go to the bathroom for her." Luna said as Alessandra, Alec, Joshua, and young Reice were watching an old Pre-Pulse movie on TV.

"Yeah... I mean Bastian was going to do a custom work of art after this." Aneli said starting to cry. "He was planning to do a work called Womb. it was going to take nine months. I was going to be photographed nude by his holo camera and we were going to take the images from my ultrasound and edit them in around my belly." Aneli said as she started to break down. "I miss him." the tears started to pour out.

"I know... Luna said as she moved over to Aneli's bed and lay next to her." Luna's hand slowly moved towards Aneli's shoulder and caressed the pressure points on her neck and Aneli's mind slowly went into rest as she slowly curled up against Luna's body.

"I will guard you on the Dreamscape, Aneli." Luna said, as she got comfortable and placed herself into a meditative state to enter Aneli's mind.

* * *

X5-222, or Bobbie as she was known to the residents of Terminal City was twirling a pair of Nunchuks with her Telekinetic powers to kill the boredom. For a PsyOp she hated not being able to read minds, but as the Nunchuks spun she liked her powers... For the past hour, she had kept an eye on Phil the Street Sweeper. Just like Max had ordered her to do. However, right now seeing him by the wall made her think of her losses... She thought back to when she came to Terminal City and how disorganized things were, so she and several others and created the wall just as a quick way of finding out who was there. But it turned into a log of which units were missing and... Who had died. Biggs... She missed him... Between Brittany, who was seeing that X4 prototype who had helped her come back to reality after the loss of her baby and Biggs. Bobbie felt that she needed to place a few flowers on the wall. With that she used two of her mental vectors to wrap around her body and two more to plod herself over to the wall. The appearance gave her the look of an Angel. Nevertheless, if they actually saw the mechanics of how she moved, it would look a lot like Doc Ock from one of the Spider-Man movies. Bobby mostly liked to use her hands to move and fight but, there was that freedom of being able to look like you were flying. It scared the shit out of those who thought of you as an easy mark. Nevertheless, she looked at the destinations from her old unit. Six dead, three missing and other than herself and two others, her unit was very thin. Every day she looked at the wall, waiting to see if the MIA would change to a TC, SF, NP, or MBL. 

"X-series?" The male voice said behind her, quickly on her feet Bobbie saw Phil. All Bobbie could say, let alone stammer out the words.

"Uh... not exactly... um... PsyOp..." Bobbie said looking away. boy did this guy look like a dork.

"PsyOp... as in Psyonic... as in you can read my mind." Phil said went buy eyed.

"No... My." Bobbie looked down at her feet. Boy did she have small feet. "My telepathy never fully developed." Bobbie said as she looked at him. "But everything else developed." Her grin was failing faster than a cement life preserver in a Category Five Hurricane.

"So... you can't read minds?" Phil said looking at her. Bobbie looked at him... in the back of her mind she was thinking, what is this, is he hitting on me to be his new sidekick?

"No mind reading... But..." Bobbie took out her nunchucks and let them levitate before her. "I've got this." Bobbie said as Phil seemed mesmerized by the twirling mass of metal and wood.

"That is some power." Phil was starting to drool at this time. Bobbie didn't want anyone to see him like this. So quickly she grabbed the chucks out of air and stashed them back into the pocket of her jacket.

"Yeah... and Four-Five-two would have my hide, if I hurt you with them." Bobbie said quickly looking around.

"So... you have been following me because..." Phil had caught on.

"Because four-five-two ordered me to keep an eye on you while you are in here." Bobbie said realizing that she had been caught.

"Oh... so... you have been keeping an eye on me..." Phil shifted his gaze to the ground.

"Yeah..." Bobbie said wanting something to happen to just to get out of here.

"Want to grab a cup of coffee?" Phil said towards her. Bobbie started to blush... forget the sidekick role, he was hitting her for a... a... a date... Bobbie just had to shake her head as she had to pick up her jaw from the floor.

"Wha?" Bobbie said blinking a few times.

"Want to grab a cup of coffee. You keep an eye on me and... I get to talk with you." Phil said as Bobbie started to heavily blush... It took a moment for her to gain some composure as she started to search for a way to compose this.

"Okay... there is a little diner a few blocks from here. I think they have coffee there?" Phil said offering his hand out to her. Bobbie became very hesitant of taking it.

"I won't bite..." Phil said as she slowly put her hand into the wrapped cyber attachment hand.

"Okay..." There was a wince of pain from the static shock she got from his armor. "Let's walk down there." Bobbie said as she let all of her training kick in as she started to learn about the one she was to protect.

* * *

Juman was feeling great. Some of the greenhouses heat was flowing across her body. But it was the walk back to her barracks outside of Terminal City. In the weeks since the siege, several of the Transgenics through a joint corporate account had purchased some of the extended buildings around the twenty-block containment area. Given the fact that the Transgenics offered a clean up and restore the area it had turned out to a win, win situation for both the city and the Transgenics. The Transgenics were able to expand out so that they could have a place for their family to live, and in terms, the City was able to get a considerable tax boost for several years for every Transgenic Business started in the area. Right now of which there at least ten. A repair shop, three restaurants, a bakery, a couple other stores, and supply spaces. However, it would take effort to fix the distance between the human and Transgenic communities. Nevertheless, with the purchase folks had stopped putting up those nasty burning X's around the area. Boy did she hate being up on cleanup duty in removing that damn burnt wood and washing away the spelt fuel that was used to start those flames. With that, Juman walked back into her small apartment building. Next door, she could hear moans from the homemade vibrator her neighbor was using to stem the effects of her heat cycle. 

"Note to self, buy more egg cartons for soundproofing." Juman said as she went inside her room and walked directly to her shower. On the wall, highlighted in Red marker was the yearlong calendar with the estimated period of them she would be entering her next heat cycle and a checklist by it. It read as follows:

Buy condoms.

Get Boyfriend to fuck Brains out of.

Buy new sheets.

Buy new underwear.

Buy Food for fridge... (I.e. fruit, vegetables... high protein drink mix).

Juman moved over half undressed and clicked on the solar cell battery she had and placed her cell phone in to charge and switched on her radio with the volume turned up to drown out the moans next door. The music playing was of a local rock group in the area.

"Terminal city, the land of the Freaks... both good and bad... The government has bad Leaks... both good and bad. Long live Freedom... Long Live Freedom."

Juman bathed listening to this.

"Ah... what a world the humans have created." Juman said as she let her feline muscles relax against the water.

* * *

Melfina was riding her bike on her errands for Jam Pony. She felt free, Dalton had actually asked her on a date... She was now somewhat open with him. Her fears had bleed away, the cold November air flowed through her fluffy hair she had a few more deliveries to make, but what they hey... she felt free. As she swung her bike into a turn every part of her feline DNA told her where to look, and how to bend her body so that she could get the most optimal turn rate into the turns she was making. Between the end of October and the star of January, there were three holidays to deal with. Halloween had ended and given the bowls of candy that were still stung around Jam Pony. But now holiday stuff was being set up, the orange and browns of Halloween and the reds and greens of Christmas were starting to show up. Mel had noticed several Hanging trees for Christmas. given how long Max and Logan had spent apart physically, she hoped that Shadow's potion would heal him. In the last few weeks she felt Dalton's hand across of hers. How it made her heart jump, her skin tingle, how well she made fists with her toes inside of her shoes. Even her loin felt tight. Hell she even had a sex dream of Dalton caressing her naked breasts under the satins sheets she had ever experienced with her nude body in her dream room. They felt like the light sheen of warm water just warm enough to fondle her skin like the warmth of a mother's womb. Then there was a buzz on her cell phone that was when Mel used her powers to activate the phone and clicked her wireless ear bud so that she could answer her phone. 

"Melfina here." Mel said as she jumped up on the curb and breezed through several lanes of traffic while dodging pedestrians.

"Mel it's Logan... Listen I need you to set up a terminal at the following address that I am sending you via text messaging." Logan said as his voice sounded like he was in an urgent tone of voice.

"How quick do you need his hook up done?" Mel said as she hit her breaks and spun her bike through a tight turn.

"With in the next three hours." Logan's voice said over the phone.

"Okay... I can get it done in about two and half." Mel said as she swung hard into another turn.

"Okay... but make sure that the hard lines and the wireless lines are done so that even if they are traced I have some times to get out of there." Logan's voice said Melfina proceeded on her way to Kroager Technology to set up the system. "Melfina, out." Between her mission Mel thought about how she could get Dalton's attention without making it look like she was in Heat.

* * *

Gem was bathing with Elfie. She liked being with her daughter like this. Her simple wrap around her waist she loved the smell of the ginseng that Cindy had been able to get for her and she and Elfie loved it. Elfie giggled as she reached out to squeeze at one of her breasts. In the months since the summer she had started to grow her hair out and the felling of her hair showed that she was feeling normal. Slowly Gem pulled her sponge out and caressed her back before covering Elfie's body with the rinse. 

"Elfie... you love that. So does Mommy... "Gem said as she bent down and pressed her lips against her daughters belly and blew hard. Elfie let out a giggle. "There will be a day when I will tell you about the dark Castle of Manticore and how your mother escaped from it." Gem said a she reached out to let Elfie move some as she and her daughter giggled under the soap they were covered in. Slowly Gem moved and put her sponge into the warm water and started to rinse the suds off of her and Elfie's bodies. Doing this dual bath was a moment of closeness where she and her daughter could be at peace and talk. Elfie started to coo some as she reached up and squeezed at one of Gem's breasts. In the months since Gem had given birth both she and Elfie's biological communication was growing. Even when Elfie cried or was hungry. Gem's body seemed to produce milk from her breasts almost on cue. But seeing that Elfie was developing her reflective eye coat for her Night vision would soon mean that Gem would have to find a pair of sunglasses for her daughter to wear during the day. However, getting through the night when Joshua was away made her worried. That was when she felt a presence behind her. Gem slowly reached for the throwing knife that she kept strapped to her inner thigh.

"Gem..." The voice said as Joshua's voice was heard. Gem let the knife fall to the ground and land in the towels.

"Joshua..." Gem said as she turned around not realizing that she was nearly naked.

"Oh... crap..." Joshua said as he adverted his eyes away from Gem's nudity. Gem suddenly realized that given where her arms were at only provided some sense of covering. "Sorry Josh... I was giving Elfie' her bath." Gem said looking blushingly down at her body.

"I know... Joshua hasn't seen too many unclothed females." Joshua said slowly turning back towards her as he reached out and brought up a robe.

"So... not too many naked females in the basement..." Gem said as let Joshua lay the robe over her shoulders.

"Not many... Most shunned their forms into the shadows." Joshua said sadly.

"Joshua..." Gem said looking at Josh. "Do you want to paint me?" Gem said moving over to her cot, her hair, and body still semi-wet from her bath. Joshua was a little curious as he moved a good distance away.

"Gem.. I would love to paint you and Elfie..." That was when Joshua's eyes went to the floor. "Joshua... not used to seeing naked females." Josh said biting his lip.

"Okay Joshua..." Gem said laying Elfie down on the bed and letting her rest on her back. "Listen..." Gem got up and walked over to him. "I want you to look at me." With that, Gem let the robe fall to the ground along with the wrap she had around her waist. Gem took Joshua's hand into her own and brought it up to her face and the longer length of newly grown reddish brown hair she had. "I'm a little scared being naked too. But..." Gem said as she took Joshua's hand and let him trace her breasts and then her groin. Gem shook a little in fear and uncertainty. "Listen... it is just my skin... it is like my face. Just go where you feel comfortable painting me." Joshua looked at her given how he was looking at her he was scared too.

"You want me to paint you..." Josh looked up and down her body scared like he had gotten hold of a tiger by the tail.

"Naked... yes... remember when you painted that picture of Elfie right after I had given her a bath and she was naked." Joshua nodded slowly.

"Well I have given Elfie her bath... so paint me as you would paint her." Gem said as she brought Joshua's hand to her mouth and kissed it. "Start by painting her first if you feel more comfortable." Gem said as she returned to the bed and picked up Elfie who was attempting to angle her head so that she could hear her mother's voice better. Gem crossed her legs so she was sitting Indian style and brought Elfie into her lap and angled her arm so her daughter could be propped up by one of her exposed breasts so the infant could suckle at her leisure. "Elfie... Do you want a story?" Gem said as Joshua slowly started to see how Gem wanted this picture of her and her daughter to be like. Elfie cooed with joy. "Okay... long time ago in a land called Greece in the time of the ancient Gods and Goddesses lived being called Nymphs... they were half Satire and half human. They had golden skin and some were mighty warriors and hunters. Among them, there was one named Deianeira and she was a hunter and a mighty warrior. Now one day while she was young decided to take a bath..." Joshua watched Gem tell her story to Elfie as he slowly moved over, set up his easel and paints, and started to paint his portrait of mother and daughter. This wasn't a picture he was going to sale... this was for his family.

* * *

Bodie was looking at the images that were before her. Looking through the files of the various types of Trangenics that Manticore cooked up was remarkable... Mostly given that Olan and Jeanne were just trying to keep up with the series produced. Between the references to custom created jobs and standard models. No wonder the Conclave had it's but kicked. They had thought long term such as creating bloodlines. With the Transgenics. It didn't matter if the powers remained or not. If you needed it, you made it, and then if you needed it later, you would store the sequences for later. Ingenious. Have generic models to add additional characteristics onto when needed, and a generation later have the excess stuff flushed out with the progeny. Bodie looked at herself and realized that she was a little less improved than the basic X-Series model. No wonder the Council was scared shitless. 

"Bodie..." Jeanne called out. Bodie looked up from the pile of paperwork she had in front of her.

"Yes..." Bodie said doing her best to seen socialable.

"I think that I may have found a way for us to get in." There was a long pause coming from the political aid. "But it might turn your stomach when I mention it." Olan just sensed that the other shoe was going to drop.

"Okay..." Bodie said as she waited.

"We need to get some tattoos first, but..." there was a wince as Olan sensed what was roughly on the "to do" list.

"What." Bodie said wanting to get to the point.

"We need to get some Animal urine and start mixing it with our..." there was a cough from Jeanne as she forced the last few words out. "Bathing products."

"In other words you want us to smell like animals or enough like them so that..." Bodie realized what this meant. The physical part was easy, but what if the Transgenics were catching their sent and boom... Early warning system. That was when Bodie lifted up her arm and took a sniff and nearly gagged at the thought. This was going to be a long mission. Cat sweat and piss deodorant was on the hygiene regiment. She wasn't even going to think about shampoo.

* * *

Joshua just stared at the ceiling. What he had experienced was like flying... Gem was curled up next to him sleeping naked. He could hear the soft purr of her light snoring. She looked happy as he reached over and caressed her naked back. Soft, Gentle, smooth. Even with the little moles on her back, she was perfect. 

Dark hair, green eyes that pulled your soul in. Gem helped make his world seem normal and calm. He realized why she had chosen him to be Elfie's dad... father... was he to be a father like father had been. He would try to be better, he would be there for Elfie. He would help her; he would hold her when she was afraid. He would fight to make sure she was safe. That was when Gem sleepily rolled on top of him and got comfortable... He could feel the warmth of the lobs of her breasts on top of his chest, which was when he felt something start dripping on his skin as she breathed. It took a moment as he reached down and touched the white substance that had wound up on this chest. Something was coming out of Gem's breasts. Slowly taking the lightest touch, he let a drop roll onto his finger.

Bringing it up to his nose, he sniffed at it. It smelled like Gem and Elfie as he started to realize that this was Elfie's mother's milk. Joshua just lay there was he started to think about Elfie some more... In time she would grow up, become big and strong like her mother. Then one day she would... that was when Joshua felt more wetness on his chest as Gem started to produce more milk. Then there was a subtle cry was Elfie woke up hungry.

"Gem..." Joshua said as he nudged Gem on the shoulder.

"Yes." A sleepy voice said as Gem slowly slid off of Joshua's chest and onto the thick blanketed floor. "Baby... hungry." Joshua spoke as Gem breathed slowly.

"You take care of it..." Gem said as she laid on her back. Joshua got worried, he didn't want to wake Gem, but Elfie was getting hungry. Slowly getting up, Joshua was concerned about approaching Elfie naked, but she hungry. moving over he approached the bassinet that Gem and him had pieced together from scrap wood and reached in and started to caress the baby's face with his finger. Elfie tilted her head and started to suck on his finger. She cheered up. It took a moment for him to realize it was the same finger that had...

Elfie wanted her mother's milk. Slowly picking up Elfie he moved with her over to where Gem lay on the floor. Seeing that Gem's breasts were exposed he sat down and slowly placed Elfie on Gem's chest. After a moment of slowly moving around Elfie found her mother's breast and started suckling. Joshua caressed both Gem and Elfie's heads as Gem opened her eyes to see her daughter finish taking her fill of milk and falling back asleep.

"Joshua..." Gem said confused. "...Why is Elfie on me?" Joshua grinned.

"She was hungry and missed her mommy..." Joshua said as he stroked Elfie's forehead with his finger. "Also you had her milk coming out of you, I think she smelled it. Wanted to drink." Joshua said as Gem slowly slid up with one arm while holding Elfie with her free hand. Then Gem smiled as she felt the feeling that Joshua felt too. they were a family now. In their hearts and in the eyes of the higher being that watched over the children of the lost.

"Joshua... Thank You." Gem said as she started to cry in joy. Joshua looked at them and realized that he would do the best father he would be to Elfie and a Husband to Gem.

* * *

TBC 


	9. Chapter 8: Mob meetings,

I would like to thank AJeff for Beta reading this chapter. Also for all of you who wanted an update, I decided to make this a short chapter. So keep your socks on, I am currninly working on several stories at this time so when my muse gets ready to toss me an idea for a story I put it down. So watch out things are going to get interesting ahead for Max and the gang.

Also if you have any story ideas that you think might fit into this story or any of my others, just drop me a line.

Well on with the story.

* * *

Chapter 8: Mob Meetings,

* * *

Don Segri Cosik moved through the abandoned office building. Between the Bio-magnetic life signs scanner he had in his hands and his gut instincts, he felt that this was a trap. But his parental instincts were driving him now.

"Dad." His daughter's voice called out from a corner. Then from the shadows, his large boned daughter came into view.

"Aneli." Segri said as he watched his daughter run towards him and hugged the stuffing out of him.

"Dad." Aneli said as she started to cry. "I'm okay." That was when she pulled away to look at her father in the face.

"How did you?" Segri said as she looked at his daughter.

"She survived by her wits." A female voice said coming out of the shadows. "Trust me. If it wasn't for her friend, Nanushka being so concerned about her, she asked her partner to locate one of us to locate her." The Mocha skinned woman said, as Segri saw the almost tribal markings on her face.

"Luna," Aneli said as she turned towards the woman. "I know that Joshua was able to track me down. But, it was only because that your friends were following a lead on a case for Eyes Only." The woman Luna moved backwards as she reached over and turned a computer monitor on.

"Eyes wishes to speak to you," Luna said as she moved away as on the screen Eyes Only's eyes looked at Sergi with the strong appearance of Seriousness on them.

"Sergi Cosik. I believe that we are in a unique situation where the other's goals and our own might be highly beneficial to each other. It looks like we are after the same problem. Yours is of blood and mine of politics."

"And what is this problem that we both share?" Sergi spoke to the computer monitor.

"The man who killed your future son-in-law and tried to kill your daughter." Eyes Only said as on the screen, an image came up. "His name is William Gilliand, and he and a Transgenic named Marrow have become both a thorn in our preferable sides. Gilliand because he is a greedy bastard who kills in disregard for the impact it will have on others and Marrow who, shall I say it, is the type of Transgenic that other Transgenics want dead due to his, say personality cult of death."

"So what, do these guys have to do with us?" Cosik spat.

"Because...My Russian friend…these two are guarding each other's asses, and to deal with our mutual problem so that we can get your son-in-law's killer, we have to deal with Marrow and his followers and for me vice-versa. We are in this boat together. So to take the phrase, the enemy of thy enemy is thy friend. And we are going to be watching each other's butt because of this friendship." Cosik thought long and hard about what he was going to say next. This was blood that had been threatened, and his daughter was alive because of Eyes Only actions. Now he was going to be a grandfather. He spoke his answer.

* * *

Cerberus and Reika decided to uplink into the Chat world. For Most ACT-I the world was a place to meet up and converse about issues of their existence. Bringing SR8 along was going to be a unique experience for them. For the young AI, this was the first time she was going to meet others like herself in a virtual environment. 

To an outside observer, the ACTI bodies would look like they were inactive and probably on standby mode. But in Actuality, the processors and the uplink systems were running at a high computation rate as the virtual environment software started to construct the Arena. That was when Cerberus, Reika and Sara walked onto the room.

"I see, but given human nature, do you believe that they will perceive that their Military Industrial Complex has gained self awareness?" Holmes the Scotland Yard's AI spoke his mind as he moved around the room in his rugged trench coat as he removed his curved English pipe.

"Yes, the system will learn that there are beings willing to avenge the wrongs done to the innocent. In time, they will notice the subtle changes occurring around them as they try to force the issue of violence." A clear digital male voice spoke as the crowd of AIs moved around the forum.

"Who is the silver figure speaking?" Sara spoke to Cerberus in his human agent form. Reika had assumed her fox sapien form.

"That is Matrix One, he is one of the Senior ACT-I leaders." Reika said moving next to her companion.

"Oh," Sara said as she started to noticed that Matrix seemed to have a featureless male body and a featureless face that reflected the environment around him. Behind him stood a circular tower that seemed to reflect the images of memories displayed on it like some pre-Pulse Las Vegas Multimedia Billboard.

"Humanity is capable of such evil and much hope." Matrix spoke as he moved forward to the center as several avatars raised their hands or limbs to gain attention to put their voices to the conversation. "But like everything, it is based on decision of going towards one extreme to another."

"Yes, that is often seen in the psychology that is perceived through the effects of survivors of great crimes against humanity." A Spider like creature spoke in a adolescent school girl voice.

"Yes, there must be balance, and the only way to learn where the edges are is to study humanity's actions through the various conflicts that are presented to us through the worlds and nodes we exist in."

"I agree with you there." Spoke a child-sized avatar as she gained center stage for the audience.

"Aura, you may take the floor." Matrix said as he walked away from the center and took a seat on the benches that rounded the arena.

"I, Aura of the CC Worlds Network take the floor." Aura said as she took a few steps before she hovered over to the center of the arena.

"Verbal oratory for Aura will be listed for five minutes." Spoke the records keeper of this environment as a transparent water clock started up.

"Given my interactions with the Humans as well recently with small groups of Transgenics that have appeared in my MUD World environments I administrate over." Aura spoke letting her strong use of words guide the audience to her opinions. "Their Social behaviors lend to either ignorance or to the point of desiring to control all knowledge. Now keeping the middle ground established among these species must be developed and watched over as governments attempt to control information and the rate it flows at. It is only by the interaction with the organics both natural and artificial that we must be able to maintain a bond with for us to grow into sufficient society. If not, then our environments will become unstable and thus we will be discovered and deleted as quickly as the Humans can find us." Aura's words stuck in the air as the three Manticore AIs watched the conversation unfold.

"We must maintain a level of contact and redundancy in case of an incident that will disrupt and or destroy the nodes to our systems."

"Yes." A voice came out from a group seated on one of the terraces of the arena.

"We must take measure to ensure that our network systems are protected against any and all possible attacks from EMP or Nuclear interference such as what happened several years ago."

"Steps have been taken with several of the nodes in the area sitting around of the old United States government military establishment." The schoolgirl spider spoke again as she called up several images and design plans that she had stored in her systems for the audience to look at.

"Yes, I do see it, Taji." Aura said as she started to hover over as Sarah realized what was going on, they were all talking about the social status of something major occurring to them. Following some base protocols buried inside of her, she raised her hand.

"Can I speak?" Sarah spoke up as the entire room turned towards her.

"Yes, you can, the floor is open." Matrix said as he motioned for her to come down to the center of the amphitheater pit. Slowly Sarah moved down the virtual stairs until she got to the floor.

"Okay, what do I do now?" Sarah's words seemed to be sticking to her virtual throat.

"Well, you speak your views." Aura said as she hovered up to Sarah's eyelevel.

"So, what was the topic?" Sarah put her question forth as she heard murmuring from the audience.

"The State of Self Aware Artificial Intelligences in the world." A Amazon Warrior Female walked down the stairs. "My name is Ga66y-3L, but everyone calls me Gabby." The Amazon offered her hand out and Sarah took it.

"I am one of the watchdog AI's that works with Aura." Gabby spoke grinning as breaking the tension was her main priority. Sarah felt relief of her virtual self.

"Oh." Sarah spoke up.

"Don't worry, most of the topics go on for hours and some times synchronization of data occurs between different Individuals." Gabby spoke as she waved her hand over the floor and several tiles that made up the mural of the floor started to rise up and lace together into a large office chair. Pulling her sword off, Gabby sat down and waved another one into being right by Sarah as she laid her extra large broadsword across her lap. The runic Symbols morphed into the form of a QWERTY keyboard.

"Sarah." Gabby grinned at her as up in the virtual sky a large screen about he size of a mountain floated down. "See, for the last couple of days, we have been talking about the status of the types of AI that have been developing as well as the human condition." Several scenes of previous conversations were shown in 2D screen detail. "But in seeing the ideology that appears to show up between religious extremists and scientific iconists. The Quest to learn about the balancing influence of the middle, should allow for an understanding on some base level."

"You are talking about hive group behaviors." Sarah stated as she looked at the information that started to scroll in front of her.

"Yes," Gabby said as she watched as Sarah reached up into the sky and touched the edges of the virtual screen, and pulled down a small personal copy for herself to look at.

"Hey, how did I?" Sarah was dumbfounded by what she had done.

"First time in a virtual environment, hey." Gabby turned towards her and grinned. Sarah nodded in response.

"What do I do now?" Gabby said as she got up and looked at the previous data.

"Well you had a question, start by asking it."

"Why put so much security on the network, while attempting that you want to open up to the world quietly." Gabby said as she looked around the rising rows of AIs. "I mean, if you want someone to know you are there, well show yourselves. I mean, that is the way Transgenics announce themselves. They appear when they feel comfortable, and usually come out from the sides." There was much discussion as the others independently conversed as the archive text at the bottom of the screen she was holding started to run by like a blur, as the text was being archived for later reference and access.

"That was a good question." Matrix said as he waved a chair into being and sat down and summoned a fountain to appear and transformed its wet surface into a large circular conference table. For the first time in Sarah's life, she felt like she had become the center of attention and being put into the limelight made her feel uncomfortable, not unlike her first moments of sentience being naked.

* * *

Gem was in the Terminal City Gymnasium. Nearby Joshua was sitting on the floor reading to Elfie. It had been strange when she heard that Joshua had swapped guard duty with some Stealth X-Series while on an assignment for Eyes Only to come to her. 

Gem felt the Sparring staff in her hands as she struck at the various hanging sandbags and combat posts around her in the sparring ring as the LED lights went off. Each swing and spin of her body helped her unwind. It had been weeks since she had been cleared to return to combat status, but, seeing that he had gotten a little out of shape in keeping all that pregnancy fat, she felt a little slow.

During the sex with Joshua, she had started to feel safe, almost like she was at one with some higher being, though she didn't believe in the Blue Lady, she understood some of why they sought out to pray to her. Was that belief in a higher being that saved her daughter from having a Barcode on the back of her perfect little neck? Was there some higher deity watching out over her that made the guards rush in after she was assaulted during the breeding session? She could feel the sick feeling as she felt herself pinned against the wall and having her pants ripped off and being fornicated with. She had never wanted another male to touch her when she learned that weeks after the fire, she was with child. But there was a consolation, when she saw that support beam fall on the X-Series that had hurt her. He was dead. But now she was in a situation, where someday she would have to tell her daughter that she was the product of... Gem forced that image from her mind as she started to slam her staff harder into the lighted bags and beams. She went faster as she saw the images of Gem's father flood back into her mind.

Gem swung harder, and faster, beating each of the virtual attackers in a rapid sequence of attacks. Tangling the rope that held up one of the bags, she pulled with all of her might and yanked it lose and slammed it into one of the padded blocks. That was when she saw his face. Her attacker...

Gem brought her staff back and flipped it around, started to bash away at its front, side, top, and behind. Her violator, the one who had harmed her, was the one who robbed her virginity from her forcibly.

"YOU HAVE TO DIE... YOU SHIT..." Gem screamed out as she pounded away wanting the image gone. She was not going to allow this piece of shit near her daughter as she struck again and again.

Each blow Gem took on the post, let her anger ebbed and flowed out of her. It wasn't until her staff broke. That was when Gem started to stab at the cushioned post with the sharpened wood until a pair of very strong arms grabbed her arms and forced her arms to cross across her chest from behind. Gem let out a beast-like roar as she felt herself being lifted up. Gem kicked at the air, twisted and roared like mad. She wasn't going down without a fight.

"Let me go." Gem foamed at the mouth and the grip stayed firm on her. "I have to kill it. I won't let him hurt my daughter like he did me." Gem screamed so loud that several of the younger Transgenics stopped their sparring match and turned towards her. Gem felt her self being dragged over to a reflective foil mirror that had been carefully glued to the wall.

"Gem, you are scaring Elfie." It took Gem a moment to recognize the face of the person holding her. "Pain is like a sickness, don't spread it to your daughter. Pain must be talked out, released on your own terms. Don't let it eat you." Joshua's words sunk in as Gem saw the creature she had become and she started to cry as Joshua let her go. Gem's strength started to drain from her as she fell to her knees and let the remnants of her staff clatter to the ground. Joshua knelt down and just rubbed her back as a wave sickening nausea clutched at her stomach and she vomited. The acrid feel of her evening meal clung to her throat as it made the zigzag turn up from her stomach through her chest and out through the roof of her mouth. Her nose just felt clogged as snot and mucus dripped from her nose. Joshua moved over and just hugged her.

"Gem, do you want Joshua to tell you of his pain, as he hears about yours? Because, Joshua will listen, if you will listen. Pain goes away if you have someone listen to you about it. If you don't, it eats you and destroys you like it did Joshua's brother Isaac." Gem just felt numb for a second as she put the information together.

"You have a brother?" Gem spoke as she tried to get the feeling of vomit out of the back of her throat.

"Had. He died long before his body did." Joshua let Gem rest physically as for the eternity that was the next hour or so drifted slowly by as Elfie held onto her stuffed kitten.

* * *

Max had spent the last few hours looking at herself in her underwear, between the realization that the runic tattoos that covered her body were a constant sign of the mess that her life was in, and the fact that she hadn't gotten decently laid in the past year. Juman was right. She needed a level of normality. Shit. Spending an hour or two cuddling with Logan and just being in his embrace would make her feel like a normal girl. That was when she reached for her bathrobe and sat down on her bed roll and picked up her book. It was some paperback that she had fished out of the makeshift library that several of the Transgenics had started to put together over the last couple of months. Between yard sales, bookstores and the occasional stash of books that got found in several of the underground locations that the Informant Net, S1W and the Transgenics had used, there had been enough to make a decent set of books to read. Between the tons of old text books that made up the Non-fiction part of the Terminal City Library, a pretty eclectic mix of Fiction had been collected and one of the books that had caught her eye was a copy of Isabel Allende's "Zorro." She had spent the last couple of days reading it. But the near mystical symbolism in the book and the idea of a secret society dedicated to protecting the people from the atrocities of the governments that ruled over them had Max thinking that if this organization existed then Logan and the Informant Net would not be alone in their battles. La Justicia. 

Between the lines of the book she saw her and Logan's life, heavily blurred right there. Logan being this era's Zorro, or Fox, then who did that make her? Talpurnia, Zorro's half Indian mother or one of the tomboyish girls that Zorro/Diego was traveling with across Spain in the section of the book she was at?

That was when a knock came on her door. And a slightly nervous Transgenic X-Series girl came in. Given her looks, she looked no more than being in her late teens.

"Sir. Ma'am." Max was sure. X6. The girl was wearing what looked like artic polar leggings and a jacket.

"Just call me Max, okay," Max let out as she walked over to the girl and sat her down. The short cut tomboyish hair, the X6 had let her know that she was probably a new arrival.

"Max," the X6 spoke unsure how to proceed.

"Listen if you want to take a seat, its okay. I'm just your standard GROPO like you." Max said as she led the girl over to her table/desk she had set up in the room. The two work chairs that had seen better days creaked some under their weight but held. Sitting the girl down actually calmed the girl down some, but not by much. "So, tell me, what is on your mind?" Max let the question hover in the air as she let the X6 sort through her words.

"Well. Ma…Max," the girl flubbed. "I have been in a relationship with an Ordinary and..." the girl paused. "I would like to tell them that I am a Transgenics...I mean I like her..." Max blinked for a second.

"Her?" The girl froze so stiff that she wondered if she was standing right in front of an eighteen wheeler coming down a country road in the middle of the night. Max decided to let this girl know it was okay. "It's okay, just that you are the first open X-Series that announced their sexuality to me."

"You don't frown on it?" The X6 said a bit worried.

"No, my best friend Cindy is a lesbian and I am cool with it. So you like this girl?" Max let the X6 know that it was okay by her standards if she preferred Taco over Sausage as the girl nodded.

"Okay then, has she seen the barcode on the back of your neck?" Max wanted to know how much the girl had hidden before seeing what to do. The girl shook her head.

"Okay, listen." Max didn't know this girl's name. "Do you have a name?" The girl bit her lips.

"Maya."

"Maya, that is a great sounding name. So, how did the two of you meet?" Maya just started talking. Nervously at first, but got stronger as she progressed along. Maya told Max about how she had gotten a job at a phone bank firm inputting data into computers, how she had been a little nervous when her supervisor came over one day and noticed that she had been interested in her. Maya was worried, but when her supervisor saw several pics of half dressed women on Maya's computer and a pair of them kissing, Maya thought she was going to be fired. But felt relieved when her boss said that she wasn't going to be fired for being a Lesbian, a term that took Maya looking it up in the online dictionary on her computer. But learning that her boss was like her too and preferred females felt as a relief for her as the desire to do what she instinctually felt about members of her own sex was okay. It was as if all of those years in hiding her sexuality from the others at Manticore was like having a heavy burden lifted from her shoulders.

Maya's boss helped introduce her to the lesbian community and took her to a few nightclubs, that was when Maya started falling for Ritzy. The two of them started to spend some of their off hours together. Ritzy even went as far to help transfer Maya from her department to another section of the building so that they were not under the same command and could freely date openly. Maya felt worried, but that was when Ritzy said it was okay for them to be in love. And then Ritzy kissed her.

It had felt strange for the X6 being her first girl on girl kiss, but she liked it, as she returned the affection back.

Max listened on about the mess of the siege of how she got locked out from TC and was forced to stick close to one of the safe houses, going as far to stay in Alac's place, faking an illness so that she could help free her Transgenic brethren. But between watching the news and watching Alec's Porno Collection, she kept thinking about Ritzy and the love she felt for her.

Then after the siege, she had slowly gone back to her place to find Ritzy there, before getting cleaned up to go to work. Ritzy had seen how famished Maya looked and cooked a meal for her.

That was when Maya realized that she loved Ritzy and wanted the relationship to be more permanent and as she ate, she asked if Ritzy had come there to hurt her because she was pro-Transgenic. Max knew that Maya was testing the social waters of her lover.

When Maya's lover said no, that she wasn't there to hurt her, Maya hugged the stuffing out of her. In a way, that was the start of how deeply she was in love. But it was the minute and a half dedicated to Maya and Ritzy's concept of love, with some of the details of the snuggles and smooches occasionally bleeding through made Max think about her own relationship with Logan and her desire to be cuddled by him.

"That was until last week when I went into heat." Maya spoke up as she started to cry. "I was scared when I got rough with her during sex." Then, she exploded in full out tears. "I broke her wrist not knowing I had done it when she..." Maya had lost it.

"Hand Pleasured." Max put the words carefully as she leaned over and hugged the girl.

"She," sniffling a few times, "screamed in agony thinking it was her being in pleasure. I wanted more. It wasn't until she passed out and I was sane enough to realize what I had done." Max knew that it was bad. She had run like Mel, like herself, during her first time not knowing how strong she was or what she did in those throws of passion.

"So, you have been here for about..."

"Twelve hours." Maya's squeak came out as Max knew that the first thing she needed to was to see if Ritzy was okay and help Maya explain to her that Maya had been in heat and then see if she could salvage the relationship. She was going to need Cindy's help in understanding some of the Lesbian stuff, but in the back of her mind, Max thought that no girl has perfect sex the first time out.

"Okay." Max got up and reached for her cell phone. "The first thing we need to do is to see if your lover is okay. Then I am going to call my friend, Cindy and have her come over and have a sex talk with you about lesbian sex and what works and after that we'll pay a visit to your friend in the hospital and explain what happened." Max reached out her hand and rubbed the tears away from Maya's face. "Telling her that you are Transgenic and you are sorry about what happened might help her understand the why of what happened, but I see how much you care about her. You are in love and I'll help you the best I can." Max's words hit a cord in the young girl as she started to grin.

"Max, listen did you have the same problem with the Ordinary you are in love with?" Maya spoke between her tears.

"Well, the biggest problem that we have had is that, it isn't getting to the love making, it is the fact that he knows what I am and I know enough to state that we should take it slowly which is his style. I have been upfront about what I am to him from the start." Maya cried. "Don't worry, you are not the only Transgenic here that has screwed up their first time sex." Max leaned over and put her index finger under Maya's jaw. "The first guy I did it with, I broke his hip after I bounced on him a little too hard." Maya blinked a few times.

"I felt guilty for a week, even going as far as to clean his house." Max felt a weight be lifted from herself by telling that story. No one here in Seattle knew of her LA Asian Dragon days. "But we remained friends, though it did kill the relationship, last I heard, he has a family and a few kids. Though, he doesn't have sex with the girl on top unless she's under a certain weight limit and wearing some padding on her knees."

"Do you think that my relationship with Ritzy is over?" Maya was worried.

"No, but I think telling your lover what you are and what exactly happened might be able to help you salvage it." Max thought about her old life and how much Maya's life were alike. It was time for some heart to heart about their lovers and the scary hump of coming out of the Transgenic closet.

* * *

Orta stretched out as she got up and moved around the X7 quarters in the hours since Reice had returned, between her standard synchronization so that everyone shared some memories between all of the other X7s. Orta how had dyed her hair white moved over to her fellow unit as she shifted out of her sleeping garments and into a pair of winter leggings and the dark long woven polar fleece top that were both faded black. The intricate pattern that was sewn into the shoulders made Orta seem almost albino and ghostly in the night. 

"Reice." Orta communicated in shriek. "Are you thinking about that Ordinary Non-combatant you encountered several days ago?" Reice looked out into the night, having removed her green contacts that hid the pupil-less eyes she possessed.

"Yes, I have a feeling about him...my body warms..." Orta entered into Reice's mind and accessed the sensory information. The warmth in her face, the subtle start of the swell of her breasts...the itch in her vaginal and groin areas.

"Your body is warming at the thought of him." Orta spoke as she offered her hand out to Reice. "You seek to fornicate with him." Reice turned around in shock.

"No, I do not lust after him." Reice shrieked out as she took several steps back.

"Then, why do you desire to feel his hands on the naked flesh of your arms and back." Orta spoke as she moved forward.

"I don't know...I mean...I just feel like I want him." Reice said, as she turned around and sat down on one of the benches that had been set up by the window to allow for what several of the Transgenics had called seeking the moment.

"You desire fornication, but not yet. You wish to sync your mind with his and have communication with him." Orta sat down letting her bare feet roll on the floor.

"Yes, I desire to see him."

"Naked." Orta projected several of the physical specs of a nude male about Riven's age into Reice's mind and superimposed the male's head on it. Reice blushed at this and pictured Orta nude too as she gave her extra long fangs to sink into Riven's neck and start to suck blood from his simulated neck and Riven start to feed off of her with the stink of rust and copper forming in her mouth.

"Reice." Orta spoke in slow, shaking her head from the disturbing images.

"Hey, you pictured him naked." Reice let Orta know that Riven's image was off limit.

"Okay, but your desire for him will force you to choose between, synchronizing with us..." Orta showed the images of the collective experience of all the X7s in Terminal City. "... or with him." Orta showed the singularity of Riven in her shriek picture.

"It is called love...and it doesn't mean I have to give up you guys. Hell, I could give you all a lesson in finding mates." Reice reached out and Touched Orta's mind to find any male she was interested in. She found a few and composited them together to an "Average Joe" and brought them into a kiss with Orta. Orta could taste the fresh fruit juice that rubbed her lips as the simulated male let her explore her passions.

Orta could feel the simulated male rub her lower back with his thumbs as he held her and slowly kissed her.

"Orta." Reice spoke through Orta's lips. "I seek to learn about him and for him to accept me and I him. This is the image of what I desire." Reice could tell Orta understood. "Mating is only when I come of an age, I will choose my Heat Cycle to conceive." Reice spoke as Orta could see her belly start to enlarge and bloat to carry a child. "Now I have to mate to learn about and if he is the right one, I will aid you too in choosing your own mate." Reice left Orta's mind.

"Sex, as Cindy says, should be with someone you care about and the first time is always rough, but the second time is easier." Reice spoke as the turned to watch the lights of the Space Needle flicker on and off since Max had taken the time to repair them during a rather quiet time between the siege and now.

"Yes, but why is fornication considered by so many as being the pinnacle of closeness?" Orta spoke up not comprehending some of the subtle nuances of the Non-Hive.

"Because, they are unable to synchronize their minds. Physical contact is per say, a means for them to communicate without words, to join in a type of instinctual link that allow them to pursue a common goal by their instincts." Reice spoke up in her own way. "Also, from what I understand, it is done for pleasure and not just for procreation."

"You have been watching the X5 males and their mating videos again, haven't you?" Orta spat out.

"No," Reice said, as she turned around. "Because I choose to hold information back, I think of myself...I have desires...I know that I will go into heat in the future, but the desire to have a companion which to share the experience with, who will stand beside me, is something that I am currently gaining the information to handle and understand." Reice put her foot down. "I want to be loved and I am willing to fight for it." Orta backed up worried.

"You sound like a Non-Hive."

"No, I am Hive. I just am pursuing what I feel is my best way to fit in. Talk in slow sometime to one of the others." Reice spoke up before she finished in slow. "You might find that they might like you for being you." Reice turned away and headed back to her bed and picked up a fantasy novel she was reading about talking dragons and caves and dove into the text dreaming about riding on the back of warm flying reptilian leather.

* * *

TBC

* * *

Please read and review… and let me know what you think of my story so far. 

Any ideas for future plot points or side stories you want me to do, just drop me a line via my id.

Hearns


	10. Chapter 9: Impact

Chapter 9: Impact

* * *

Warning this is going to be a heavy Familiar chapter of the story. So many of the characters back stories are going to be flushed out, and there will be follow-ups to what has happened in the previous chapter. Also, there are a lot of sexual references in this chapter with descriptions. More should be coming up soon.

* * *

Bodie was looking over the list of the various Transgenic groups that the Familiar community had been able to piece together. She was concerned that this was going to be more difficult than she had originally thought. There were like Nine types of X-Series... Shit even then trying to match them to their Familiar equivalent had been a monster headache... Olan had pretty much fallen asleep at the computer after taking twelve aspirins and three cups of herbal tea just to unwind. Jeanne, their liaison with the council looked like she needed the rest more than they did. Between some of the basic combat training that Bodie had given her, she looked like she was about to drop dead. Hell given that she was curled up with a stuffed animal screamed that she was scared. Bodie decided that if she was this scared by the information, then when they infiltrated Terminal City, she would be discovered and probably killed on site by the Transgenics... Bodie realized what this girl needed was someone to talk to. With that, she walked over. 

"Jeanne..." Bodie spoke, but given how nervous and scared Jeanne was she almost jumped.

"Yes..." she squeaked unsure if Bodie was ordering her to do something.

"Just stay there... listen..." Bodie took a deep breath... "Do you just want to talk... you know about things..." Jeanne was perplexed...

"What things???" She clutched the stuffed animal harder.

"You know... stuff... like do you have any brothers or sisters... um... when was the first time that you lost your virginity..."

"Is this part of the mission..." Jeanne fretted...

"NO... Oh God... No..." Bodie looked at the young Familiar... "Shit... I mean... I just want to talk... girl to girl... you know no Familiar or Conclave or any Transgenic Crap..." Bodie sat down on the raised box that had become Jeanne's makeshift bed. "I mean... what is your favorite type of music... I'm a kinda of New Country, Seventy's rock type of girl... you?" Jeanne blinked a few times... It was as if the entire Familiar Caste system had hurt this girl's development. "You can speak... I mean right now, I think we all need a break from all the research we have been doing."

"Boddicca..." Jeanne said cautiously as she tested out the waters. "I know that you are trying to open up." There was a long pause. "But... I'm scared." Bodie leaned over and hugged Jeanne.

"Yeah me too... I mean my best friend got her kid tattooed." Bodie said as she ran her hand along Jeanne's back. "I mean if the Transgenics decide to wipe us out... I think there are some of the parents that might have to tell their kids to forget them and act like Genetically Engineered Super soldiers. I mean I don't think there is going to be an end to parents tattooing the backs of their kids necks even after we get through this, but I think the glyphs are going to change." There was a long pause as Jeanne looked at Bodie in fear.

"Listen, Our mission here is to find out if there is a way to at least to make peace with the Transgenics. Or..." The pause stuck in the air. "At least have them think that we are not a threat." Jeannine looked at Bodie a little nervous.

"Yeah, and the first thing is I'm going to give you a tattoo." Bodie said as she pulled out the template and the needle gun out of the medical kit. Then Bodie paused when she saw the back of Jeanine's neck. "Okay, we are going to have some of your hair, you have a ton of peach fuzz back here."

* * *

Sergi Cosik was looking over what he knew of what Eyes Only had given to him. This Gilliland had screwed with both sides of the law. Eyes Only trying to get to the bottom of a murder investigation, Cosik finding out that a conman who had coned millions from low-end artists had not given those in his money-laundering firms their correct cut. Now with his daughter out of danger and the damages that had been done to his blood, even towards his unborn blood, he wanted vengeance. His feeling that when he got his hands on the bastard that attempted to hurt his child, he would make sure that the level of punishment would fit the damage he would have done to his extended family. A Bath in concrete would fit this perp very nicely.

* * *

Shaldala Loamagi was looking in on her patient. When she signed up to be an EMT, this wasn't the part of the job she asked for. However, considering that how the call had come in was a bit disconcerting. A simple treating of a broken wrist was simple enough, but it was the state in which the woman she had found when she arrived at the call that made her worry. Semi-nude. 

Somehow during a period of really rough lesbian sex, this woman's lover had inadvertently broken her lover's wrist during some... vaginal insertion... cough... Her lover must have freaked out after realizing that her lover had not like her climaxed at the pinnacle of orgasmic conclusion. But in all actuality had passed out from the pain of a broken wrist... Given the frantic phone call and the mood that had surfaced given how fast this woman's lover had split and how franticly stuff and been grabbed meant one of two things. One that her lover didn't want it getting out that she was a lesbian or two. Given the injury on the wrist and how black and blue it was, showed that her lover had super human strength given the number of photos of the Asian girl and this woman were littered around the apartment. Even including the two of them kissing. Therefore, that probably meant that one was out and left two. Superhuman... aka Transgenic. So, like what she had heard in the past about a guy getting "accidentally" electrocuted a few weeks back during Halloween after a love tryst with a Transgenic girl who freaked out after she realized that he was a home grown human. Given the spit when your cover is blown pretty much stated that the Transgenics were based on a "if revealed you run" idea. However, right now Shandala realized that for this woman the next few hours would reflect on what would happen to her relationship with her lover. Sometimes learning the truth hurt, but it also helped people heal. Shandala was hoping that for this woman and her lover, an understanding would come from this. Moreover, Shandala wouldn't have to hide her heritage of being something different. Maybe looking up and talking with a Transgenic would help her and her boyfriend come to an understanding that she was a creation of science and of "magical" gods. Moreover, Through that she could reveal that like the super soldiers running around, she too was human and desired to live her life in peace with him.

* * *

Olan woke up feeling a bit sick, considering the pizza she had eaten. Between looking over what profiles the Seattle PD had on the Transgenics of Terminal City and the Familiar details that every One of her people had gathered, she had been able to identify several key Transgenics that Four-Five -Two used as her advisors. A black street-wise X-Five female known as Cindy. A male X-Five, who had been her breeding partner, now has her supply officer. A X-Five medical officer who had run the counter assault during the Battle of the Freaks. Some bestial who was her confidant and a reptilian Bestial who was her military advisor. All of this added up to some interesting individuals that were going to be a challenge to deal with if they got caught in Terminal City. However, it was the limited Intel that the Familiar community had gotten Intel on a few key others that might be their way in. The Transgenics were looking for supply personnel that knew botany, and biological filter systems, so she needed to see if either flat out infiltration would work or just some subtle persuasion to blend in. She went through her skill base to see if just blocking the Transgenics, thoughts would work, but for the time being, creating an Identity for all of them and who they were was slowly taking shape. Jeanine would defiantly would have to be an X6 with no field experience. So having Bodie give her a weapons crash course would be the priority. In seven days, they would be entering Terminal City and hopefully pulling this mission by the seats of their pants.

* * *

Jeanne felt the back of her neck being shaved as the transparent plastic mould was turned around in her hands. Her thoughts went to what she was about to do for her people. She knew that either she would die, or maybe one day be a mother herself as she looked down at the recently healing tissue on her arm. The Freeborns had gotten hold of nanomachines designed for advanced tissue regeneration. The rumor was that they had been salvaged out of a cyberized Transgenic. She didn't know what scared her more, where the little robots had come from or the fact that her cells might be now Transgenic. Jeanne looked and rubbed her arm as she saw the scar tissue change and become smooth where the modified Conclave glyph used to be. She moved her thoughts to different subjects such as the information about the mind walkers that Manticore had cooked up, Rumors were that Sandeman had advanced the line by several hundred generations. Rumors were that time manipulation, matter control, even the ability teleport. The crazy idea that she might be able to pass herself off as an medical officer but the odds of that might not be in her favor. In other words, she could pose as a communications officer. Maybe a bike messenger, but given Four-Five-Two's background there might be someone doing a background check on her. Maybe Bodie could pass, but if the other Transgenics that were at Jam Pony probably could smell her out given the experience the Phallaics went up against. Some levels of Intel that had been gathered stated their odds of pulling this off was going to be a snowball's chance in hell, it would only take a small miracle to pull this off.

* * *

Temari was walking around TC as she noticed that though the city was dark. But the feeling that the night was where the Transgenics liked to be was something that Temari liked doing, That was when Hinata her X-Series Night Eyes friend showed up. 

"Hey Temari... did you hear." Hinata called out.

"Hear what?"

"Maya has an Ordinary Lover..." Hinata said as she moved over to a nearby fire.

"So who is the lucky guy?" Temari said as she adjusted her hood over her blond hair.

"Actually from what I hear, it was a female..." Hinata said as she blinked her highly refractive eyes as the absorbed ambient light was changed within the inner reflective surface from their usual silver to bright green.

"Female... as in she is a homosexual!!!" Temari spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Yes... and she is talking with Max old Four-Five-Two herself about how to proceed next."

"So she is looking for fucking advice from Max or something more?" Temari looked around to see if anyone was listening in.

"More like how to come out of the Transgenic closet without scaring the crap out of her lover."

"No Shit!!!"

"Yeah, No Shit, Temari... I would freak out if I was bonking some Ordinary and he saw my eyes. But in your case It probably would be your first heat cycle that would have to give you away."

"Yeah I guess so." Temari paused. "So what about that Tiger Strip that you are dating? Planning to share some heat with him." Temari said sexily. Hinata blinked and was caught off guard. "Oh I see, you liked talking about everyone else's sex life, but when it comes to your own... You blush and try to denial it." Hinata looked at Temari and tried to state something but the words couldn't' come to her mouth.

"I...I...I..."

"Hin... I have seen you do Yoga, with and without clothes... Trust me you have more erect phalluses forming when you past by than most of the seduction models could ever perform." Temari slyly grinned.

"I have to get going." Hinata said as she blurred away.

"Okay... But you better share some heat sometime soon, because we are not getting any younger." Temari said as she decided that taking up yoga might improve her own chances of catching a male.

* * *

Aura was standing on a hilltop of the Multi-user virtual game environment she administrated over. Over the last eight months there had been a surge in the number of good diggers, virtual squatters, hijacked accounts, and illegal transactions on the various internet auction and trading sites had alerted Aura's attention. So right now formulating a plan, she decided to do a rare item hunter contest on her network. Given the size and sheer number of the squatters, she decided to see which accounts she could run a back trace on during their game play. So instead of having some Lone Wolf mercenary player "kill" off the players, she decided to have a little trap and see if she could locate and help the human right's people shut down some of the Gold Coin Factory sweat shops. Now given the conditions of some of these places, she just needed manpower, or in this case several ACT-I helping her out. 

"Server J-23 Alpha configured for ISP back trace." Aura said as she brought up her data tablet before her. Behind her Reika walked up in her human ID.

"You know I hate the fact that you don't have any Foxes, or Anphro creatures in your database." Reika said as she tugged on the leather armor she had on.

"Sorry, but the system upgrades for more character costumes and forms will not be in beta until next week." Aura said as she turned around.

"Well why don't you wait until then to do this bust?"

"Well considering that performing this bust is more important. See that upgrade you are wanting so badly is the very bait that I am using to push out these rules violators." Aura said as she floated over to a rock so that she could have some ground underneath her feet so that she could pound her frustrations out with her bare foot.

"So what is the big deal about getting rid of some players? It ain't like you can't find more?" Reika said as she stretched out her avatar just to see the flexibility of the movement protocols.

"More players, Yes, but it is jerks like these that make the work of the other players hurt so bad." Aura said as she pulled up images of the various monsters and creatures she was planning to unleash. "I want to get rid of the trash and keep the ones willing to work towards playing by the rules."

"So pretty much you are going to have a little culling of the scum." Reika said looking out at the field.

"Yes... and I need you to help me run the back trace of the users so that I can get the cameras in the mobile units to transmit images to the various Human rights organizations so that busts can occur." Aura said as she watched as a propped up terminal she had affixed on a nearby boulder started to monitor the number of logins occurring on the server they were in. The spinning-floating clock signaling the local server time was about to signal the start of the battle. That was when a group of figures appeared with a large BFG Catapult. Aura looked at them and recognized the Avatars and the ISP addresses. Trini and Avery. The two humans who had led her on to the plights of the children working in the cyber sweatshops from their London and New York Terminals.

"Trini, Avery... I see that you brought the large piece of firepower along you said you bring." Aura said as she waved towards them.

"Yeah we brought the BFG, so we could get rid of those Buggers." Avery spoke in her thick Soho London accent.

"Yeah... I mean I am paying good money through my online account to play this MMORPG on my Mobile." Trini said as she waved towards Aura. "So who is your friend?" The two said as they stopped coming up the hill leaving the large piece of equipment behind.

"Reika..." Aura said as she motioned over

"So let's get this Lord of the Rings slaughter fest going." Avery said as she looked down at the valley.

"Okay..." Reika said as she watched Aura call up the first monster, the third, the fourth, Fifth... "How many monsters are you planning to dump on these poor sobs?"

"Nine thousand twenty-five."

Aura said as the tons of the drones, monsters, beasts, and other things that the programmers had cooked up for the players to fight for points.

"Those are pretty much the standard monsters we have all seen." Trini said as she watched the creatures attack the players on the battlefield.

"Yes..." Aura said as she tapped the terminal she had a few times. "But. Have you seen these guys?" With that, several creatures appeared on the field.

"What are those things?" Avery said as she saw several golden dumbbell looking creatures show up, then several Dean Devlin versions of Godzilla showed up with headless riders on their backs, then they saw something that caught all of their attentions. "Now this is my masterpiece." A large slug like monster came on the scene.

"Your masterpiece is a five story tall giant monster slug." Reika said looking at the creature.

"Oh, contraire..." Aura said as she tapped a few keys... "The outside is meant to get their attention. But it is this that should really creep them out." With that, the monster Slug exploded as the battle started to draw all of their cover fire.

"Okay you cover the battlefield in monster slug slime." Reika said looking at the scene.

"Look at the date stream and you will see what the slim is supposed to do." Aura said as the data stream flooded the system like a tsunami as terminal information started to show up on the computer.

"Wait, you are pinging the location of all the users on the field?" Reika said as she looked at the screen near here.

"Yes and the processing is to narrow down the highest number of individuals in a single place via server ISP, those would be the individuals that I should be looking for." Aura said as the virus program inserted itself into the cameras of the mobile units in order to receive information from the various camera units on the various computers, handheld phones, personal hand held terminals and a few mobile implants. The data transfer sent photos and video data towards her sever. "Could you run those faces through your international recognition software?" Aura said as she whispered in an encrypted single line towards Reika as she spoke.

"Okay girls, I think this bloodbath started." Aura said as she moved the data fields. "Lets start firing rounds. I want you to target the beasts below, and have some fun while you are at it." With that, the two human girls armed the large catapult and started to lob rounds into the oncoming monsters on the battlefield below.

"I'll see if I can get the data back to you." Reika said as she watched the data slowly be stored in a hefty file.

"You do that, and I'll see after I do the bloodbath what information people have on the Transgenic community for you." Aura said as she watched the battle play out.

"Hey... This is better than the Frank Miller version of the Battle of Thermopylae." Trini called out as she watched the bloodshed of players and monsters dying on the screen.

"Yes I believe you are right." Aura said as she decided to throw some AI drone knights into the mix just to keep the battle going for the next couple of hours.

* * *

Katia C-822 felt her naked body as she explored every feature of her generically engineered body as she started to ponder about her sexuality. It had been three days since she had been informed she was pregnant. Being a Spartan class combat soldier made her think about how the child would affect her battle awareness. Therefore, with assurances from Ms. Reika she was granted access to the Manticore medical database. Some of the data she encountered made her blood run cold. Even the references of how the fetal developments of some of the Transgenics like herself were done. She nearly lost her lunch when she saw a video of a partial-birth abortion followed by an autopsy of both mother and child. The mother was still alive during the study. Ms. Reika had assured her that would not occur on her watch and Katia was given clearance to view the alliance records she was releasing to various human rights organizations, media, and governmental agencies. 

Since a loose alliance between the Manticore series and her own kind had been established under Ms. Reika's leadership, there had been a slow yet methodical process of information between the two groups as 452 attempted to form links with Pro-Transgenic factions of the government and give people like herself a chance to integrate into society under legal means. Some of the battle-hardened soldiers of the Manticore unit had come in as advisors to aid in an integration of all of the Super soldier units under a single administrative body. Combined with this the release of illegal operations information to the public was greasing the wheels for other governments to come forward with their programs and the stages they were at to the public.

This was a more or less of a cleaning of house via the new commander of the validity Aimee Reika. Who had over the last few months had established a strong reputation among the Spartans as being a strong leader, but a Smart and Wise one when it came to mission deployments.

Now was Katia standing naked in her quarters occasionally looking at the mirror as she had wondered was she going to be taking out of field duty, be stuck in some lab for research as her child developed. Dissected... The footage of X5-626 haunted her mind as she was analyzed to death in that submersion tank.

The pile of DVDs, Books, Journals, Audiobooks, Computer files that were sitting on the floor all covered one subject... Pregnancy; were purchased by Ms. Reika as a peace offering to her. But the book she took the most pleasure in was the reading of a historical novel based in Ancient Spartan Greece about a girl coming of age in that society. What had captivated her was the similarities between that society and her own, but the scene of the jumping fertility dance made it seem like she should have been living in that time rather in this one, especially how the love scene was written was so much like the night of the conception of her unborn child.

Katia wondered about her time spending that one night with her fellow Spartan warrior and experience sexual exploration of both their bodies. She remembered how she snuck out of her quarters and along with a fellow Spartan enjoyed a night of carnal exploration just to see what it felt like. She remembered how the feeling of her breasts being touched, caressed, and even kissed as they became engorged with blood. How she explored her own sense of sex as she felt her body become penetrated as she had her sex-hymen broken and blood rushed from between her legs as her body sucked in the male genetic profile into her womb. That was several weeks ago, right during the week that their new commander took over and they were sent to defend the human troops and Transgenics in Terminal City.

Katia moved her hand down into her vaginal tract with that memory as she moved towards the urgency of the present. Given that Katia had smuggled out a memory card on medical information on all the Centurions ever produced including her own when she was in the computer lab. Pulling of a move of concealment, she had placed the card into her vaginal tract for transport through security. Now hours later as she reached down to retrieve it out of her body cavity, the card had become lodged into a point of her virgina where she could not access it easily. Why when they created her, did they have to give her such a small vaginal slit to procreate with? She dreaded in the coming month where she had to contend with the fact that a human the size of a watermelon would be coming out of that same hole.

Forcing her hand deeper in she felt the slick wet warmth of her womanhood as she patted around with her fingers until she found the rectangular piece of plastic of the one-terabyte memory card. Shoving her hand in deeper she felt her body heave as she hit the arousal nerves in her vaginal tract as she arched her back down to give her hand those extra few centimeters they needed to snag the card. Clenching her teeth to fight through the sense of pleasure, she moved her hand to the point where she was able to squeeze the card between them and slowly and carefully pull it out of her body with a long exhale of relief. Katia held up her hand as she slowly collapsed on her bunk to look at the human tissue slimed memory card. Pulling a washcloth that she had kept damp by the sink, she wiped the card clean. With a nervous shudder, she bit her lip.

"I hope you were worth it?" Katia spoke as she moved the card into the computer she had been given as a good token of faith. As the card loaded a message popped, up on the screen stopped her thoughts from going any further of wanting to dig into the data she had stolen from the medical lab.

_Katia... if you are reading this, then you are ready for the mission I am going to send you on._

Katia blinked a few times fearing she had been compromised. Nevertheless, the message continued with the following.

"_Katia... I know that you probably are reading this after you have fished the memory card out of your personal hiding place after much effort. Don't fret... I knew that you are curious and worried about the fate of your child. So knowing that you have downloaded every bit of this file, I will tell you the truth. You are going to be okay. I will not have your child aborted or taken away from you at birth. Though I have decided to assign you to a mission of the utmost importance to the fate of the younger soldiers on this base along with those females in the same situation you are in."_

Katia became worried as she looked around her quarters looking for any and all surveillance that could possible be quarters as she got up and wrapped the blanket around her body. After taking a moment Katia looked at the information on the OLED screen as she started looking at every crack, seam, and parts of the vents around her quarters dreading that she had been compromised, she looked at her mirror. Dreading there might be a camera behind it, she pulled the blanket off and hung it over the mirror before continuing her search. After performing all of these checks for a camera or other surveillance gear in the nude, Katia returned to the terminal on her bed and sat down.

"_Katia... if you have checked the room, by this time. There is no surveillance... I just know your profile. Now if you are worried that security is going to barge in at this time, They won't... Just relax... the reason I gave you all that information is that I rust you will make the right decisions with it._

_Soon you will know the truth about me so relax for the time being. You need some sleep your body is needing the rest for Two._

_Oh Yeah... the information included on this card contains everything you wanted to know, so read. I have not removed any information from the files. However, I want you to start a file that you will give to someone later one. It will not be read by me or by any of my superiors, but it will be read by someone of your choosing: Your child. Tell them about who you are and events of your life, classified and unclassified. Pick a moment that you fell comfortable about talking about, somewhere you felt comfortable and safe. Take your time... I will give you full mission details later._

_Aimee Reika._

Katia blinked, as she looked around her room feeling more naked then she had been as she wrapped her arms around her and pulled herself into a ball to stay warm.

"Okay... Sir... what safe event do you want to write about." Katia said as she reached over and pulled the sheets of her bed over her body. "Some place that I felt safe?" Katia thought aloud and paused for along moment before she activated the keyboard terminal on a file Ms. Reika wanted her to write.

"My Designation is C-822 Spartan Centurion class batch Beta 1-A. Personal Name is Katia and I am with Child whomever is reading this file I have given this file to them to read under whatever circumstances I have deemed important. I was born in..." Katia hit the backspace key to blank those last four words. "Several weeks ago I had intercourse for the first time and I will tell you of the night of those events." Katia reached over and realized from all the material she had been reading started to sink in. She was writing this for her unborn child as she looked down at her belly and imagining it expanding over the next few months. Then Katia hit the backspace button a few more times.

"Okay young one, if you are reading this, then you should know about the night you were conceived. The Female Spartans have this ritual when it comes to the time of our mistral bleeds. That is where I met the individual who helped me conceive you during a night of watching the stars. Your Father..."

* * *

Ritzy was thinking about Maya as the painkillers slowly worked on her body. Why had Maya run away? Was Maya afraid that Ritzy would hate her because of an accident during sex? Heck... Ritzy loved Maya with all of her heart. She knew that Maya was a bit uncomfortable when it came to being openly in love with her, but when Ritzy was able to get her to open up it was like a weight was lifted. Heck a few times Maya even surprised her, well counting that time where Maya had brought in one of the deck chairs inside the house and proceeded to let Ritzy knew that she was in the mood for some serious kinky loving... Well Ritzy was a little off guard when between scooping the ice cream out with one hand and eating it before smearing the rest she hadn't eaten over her body screamed that she was happy and was in the mode for some serious making out. It was as if a completely different personality had taken over: One of pure sexual drive and of carnal lust. Ritzy was pretty much awe struck as she saw witnessed Maya slather herself in the ice cream before moving over to her and kissing her like a sex crazed teenager. It was as if she was in heat. 

"Maya... listen how about we..." it was when Maya just up and kissed her.

"Call in sick..." she was almost crying she spoke the word. "Please..."

"Okay..." Ritzy had said before the nine hours of pure carnal pleasure started before the broken wrist. It was as if Maya was trying to cram several months' worth of sex into those hours... Ritzy was trying to get an answer out of Maya but every time she got close... Maya would go do something that frankly surprised her sexually and the topic would be dropped.

Now lying in bed with a broken wrist she had noticed several things that started to make sense now. Fear of being found out. Questions about Transgenics...why she put make up on her... wait the back of her neck... Ritzy kicked herself for not realizing it before... Maya was a transgenic... and... That was when the nurse walked into the room.

"Hello Ms..." a woman with light brown hair looked at her as she casually picked up her chart.

"Oh, Hi..." Ritzy said as she was shifted back into reality.

"I'm here to do a follow up on you." The woman said as she came forward, Ritzy's nervousness started to stabilize into calmness as if some outside force was guiding her softly by the hand.

"Sorry, I was in deep thought." Ritzy ran her uninjured hand through her hair.

"So how are you doing?" The nurse said looking at Ritzy with concern. S. Loamagi was on the nurse's nametag.

"Okay. Just trying to digest information as you came in..." Ritzy said as she adjusted the paper cloth garments on her body.

"Well considering that the EMT crew found you naked in your bed with a broken arm." The nurse said looking at the recently cast hand.

"Yeah... I think I scared my lover when I..." Ritzy didn't want to give the gory details.

"Goofed up during lovemaking." The nurse nodded with an uh ha look about her. "It happens a whole lot more than people think, when it comes lovers try new stuff out."

"Yeah..." Ritzy said looking down in embarrassment.

"Ritzy..." A familiar voice created through as she looked up to see Maya standing there with her intertwined in front of her white shirt, and denim skirt, showing a clear sense of insecurity as she stepped forward as her old red high top sneakers shuffled across the floor as she casually came forward.

"So... you..." Maya looked away as another figure stood by the door motioning her to continue one.

"Listen... Max... Sir... I..."

"Tell her..." The woman in the background told her to continue. "If you love her... tell her... You are just as scared as I was when I talked to the people I cared about learned who an what I was." Max tapped the shoulder of the Nurse. "I think we should leave these two be to talk some." A moment later Ritzy and Maya were alone. After a long time of silence and uncomfortable pauses, the two started up.

"Listen I..." they both spat out, they realized they both wanted to talk. Then Ritzy relented.

"You go first." Ritzy said as she watched Maya look down at the floor.

"I love you." Maya let the words flow out.

"I love you too... Maya... you look scared... I mean I didn't know that you would bolt after."

"I broke your hand while fucking my brains out." Maya looked down. "Sorry..."

"No... Maya... I don't care what your past was, or where or what you came from. I still love you." Maya looked up in fear.

"You know what I am... I was so careful..." Maya looked at her like a scared child.

"Yes I know that you are a Transgenic. Jeese... I know that you were trying to tell me. Between the religious zealots, the crazed nut jobs out there."

Ritzy looked at her. "I still love you. Heck I want to grow old with you, I want to be there as we raise our children together." Maya looked at her as she moved over to Ritzy's bed slowly.

"You..." Maya paused for a long time before she forced the words out of her mouth. "You don't mind that I am not fully human?"

"Maya... you are fully human. And do not let anyone say anywise. You are the most human person I have ever met, and... The next time Maya... we use toys when it comes to direct intercourse. I mean." Ritzy waved her broken wing. "Silicone is more flexible than flesh is. But..." Ritzy moved over and up out of bed and landed over to kiss Maya. "That doesn't mean that I can't kiss you all over your naked body." With that, Maya felt Ritzy's hand pull her in as she passionately kissed her and Maya responded as she reached behind Ritzy's neck and started to work on undoing the knot of her medical gown. Each of them for the first time fully became comfortable in their skins.

* * *

Max was standing outside the door. Even with her superhuman hearing, she knew that those two church mice were probably half naked by now. With that she knew it was going to be twenty minutes until those two were done with the snuggles, smooches, and sucking, so she picked her self a spot on the floor and sat down she wasn't expecting to see Clemente come by. 

"MAX..." Clemente clamored out when he saw Max sitting on the floor.

"Clemente..." Max stammered out in shock. "What are you doing here?" She said as she sprang up off of the floor.

"Well I am here because my wife broke her leg after going to one of my daughter's plays." Clemente said as she spoke to her.

"Is she okay?" Max said a bit worried.

"Well consider that she will be on a pair of crutches for the next few weeks." Clemente said as Max leaned against the wall. "So what are you doing here?"

"Well..." Max knew that she better say the truth. "... A member of my community wanted me to ride wingman as she came out of the Transgenic closet after she accidentally hurt the person she was in love with during a session of really rough sex." Max held off mentioning Maya's girlfriend's gender.

"So this is like the Transgenic girl who nearly electrocuted a guy." Max went white.

"Well considering that I have been getting onto my fellow Transgenics not to run if there is an accident especially when it comes to their relationships." Max tried to fight back the images of her own accident when she broke her best friend's hip the first time she had wild heat sex.

"So in other words you are making sure that you don't have a repeat of electro-girl?" Max never had thought of Melfina as being called "electro-girl" but given how shook up Mel had been, the name would probably stick.

"Yeah… And considering that inter-species relationships are a little rough for those who haven't had all that many." Max Paused. "How is your daughter doing, I mean since I had to help you out with those curious Transgenic kids that staked out your house?"

"Well considering that she is doing okay and that if she can make a trap that can catch the "Elusive X-Series" and have them puking their guts out. I think that she is going to see what I do for a living in a different light, that I do my best to help those in the community." Clemente said as Max heard a moan from the other side of the door. "Did you hear something?" The church mice had gotten loud with that Max rapped on the door a few times and kissing could be heard. "I love you Ritz…" was spoken loud enough that Clemente probably heard that as Max turned her attention back to Clemente.

"Nothing much but the church mice making out." Clemente gave her a strange look. "Maya… the Transgenic girl I am here with is having sweet nothings spoken into her ears, from an apology session." That and having a steamy romantic sonnet being told about each bar of her barcode. Max winced. Damn Virus… That would have been her and Logan's sweet nothings being told to her. That is when Clemente noticed that she was getting jealous over the girl.

"So… How is your love life doing?" Clemente said as Max became crestfallen.

"Not so good. I mean I want to be near him, but every time that I try, something comes up and…" Max pushed the thoughts out of her mind.

"Well why don't you have someone take over some of your duties for a night or so and relax… I mean even I do have to take vacations. Hell Superman had his Fortress of Solitude that he could split off to put his thought together." Clemente said as Max realized that she needed to do one thing that her brother had pounded into her head. She needed to get a life and she needed to see if this bitching bug was dead, because she had a year's worth of sex, snuggling and kisses to catch up to.

"You are right Clemente; I do need to get a life." Max said as she heard Maya and Ritzy in the post loving making cuddle. Boy did she wish that was her and Logan.

* * *

Reice, Elle, Fi, and Olan, and a X-Series Nighteyes named Hina were all sitting in front of the large flat screen TV. They were watching the time delayed Rhythmic Gymnastics competition wondering why so many males were getting aroused by watching it. 

On the screen was a girl performing her routine in a green reptilian leotard.

"You know she moves like a snake." Reice said as she looked at the body movements of the young female on the screen.

"Yes..." Olan said as the girl performed several bends with her torso that gave the appearance of a slithering reptile. "She is flex..." Olan stopped when the girl still standing brought her leg up behind her back before performing a roll on the floor. "...ible" she finished agape.

"Flexible, I think she is part snake or probably doesn't have a spinal column." Fiona said as the routine played out.

"Same here" Olan said as she got up. "I mean given her physical layout as I see here on the screen. We are not all that different in body build." The routine continued with several rolls and twists including a few where the girl curled up into a reverse ball as she rolled around on the floor.

"I think I can do that." Reice said as she reached for the remote, triggered the real-time storage memory, and hit rewind to the start of the routine. Quickly Reice started to pull her clothes off leaving only her panties on. The pile of clothes on the floor showed how much she wore to keep warm during the cold month of November.

"Reice what are you doing?" Fiona said as she watched Reice remove her socks as she watched the routine again.

"Seeing if I can perform what that girl is doing." Reice said as she looked at her physical build.

"Listen Reice... that girl has probably had years of training to prepare her mind an body for that level of flexibility." Fiona said a she saw the routine again.

"We were designed to withstand a lot of physical strain. I believe that I can do it." With that, Reice watched the routine again from the start.

"'Reice.'" Olan spoke in a very scared tone as she moved her voice into Screech. "Don't do this."

"I just want to see I can do some of the routines that won't over extend my physical structure." With that Reice held her arms out and rolled her upper torso in such a way it mirrored the girl's movements on the screen, before doing a spin on her toes. That was when the open door she stopped in front of had an extra set of eyeballs.

"That was beautiful." A male voice said from the door. That was when all of the girls turned to see four X-Series males blinking heavily at Reice.

"I think I can't feel part of my body?" One of the blond males said.

"Yeah Jim... I mean if girls move like that..."

"Reice cover up." Fiona called out as she tossed Reice her jacket. "Elle close the door before the guys have an aneurysm from the blood loss from their nose." With that Elle sprung up off the floor, her aqua green hair flowing behind her like the pixie she appeared to be and closed the door on the young adolescent males before them as they pictured for days to come what young female breast look like and how they moved on their bodies.

"Well, I think Reice and the rest of us just discovered that..."

"Males like how female breasts move inside and outside of their garments." Olan said looking at her own body as she reached down and squeezed the small developing mounds on her own chest.

"So, Reice, how have you been shaping your's?" Elle said turning around as she leaned against the door to prevent the boys from getting in.

"Well I think that it starts with the bra... and how comfortable you are in?" Reice said as she slowly pulled her jacket away from her body.

"Can I touch?" Fiona said as she slowly cam over as she too her own sweater off. In the hours that would come, the four girls would be all naked and wondering how their bodies would develop in the future and how boys would possible touch their forms when they came of age of their first heat cycle.

* * *

TBC, 

Next time, Infiltration and Intel.

Faster chapter and things fall into place. The rest should go a lot faster after this.

Comments, Ideas, Flames, Blames. Click the button below.


	11. Chapter 10: Infiltration and Intel

HDCC 2

* * *

Sorry about not updating this story in such a long time, but I have been busy with school and working on other projects at the time. I know that a lot of readers think that I have given up on this story… Well I haven't, I just get backlogged with stuff from work and with my life. Given that my life has hit a period of somewhat order, I am going to see if I can keep up with my writing a little bit more.

In the next few months I will see if I can get a few other stories jump started again and start posting more material again.

Well on with the story,

Reviews and comments are welcome and asked for at the end of the page.

Hearns

* * *

Chapter 10: Infiltration and Intel

The days had been passing for Sergi. Between getting his daughter back and now having to speak to Eyes Only to find out who had been trying to kill her and her close friend Alessandra. Between having to see this faceless individual who worked like a shadow behind the scenes of in modern day Seattle going after the corrupt and the power hungry. This Eyes Only character scared the shit out of criminals, but right now he and three other crime families had to make an alliance with him to deal with this Gilliand guy who was out to start a gang war. Between thinking about dunking this scumbag Gilliand into a vat of Cement, an long Acid Bath, or head first into a wood chipper or a super mulcher nine-thousand, out of all of the instruments of disposing of the evidence that was most efficient method out of these was the idea of tossing the Gilliand into a pit full of starving hogs and have him eaten alive. Hell using bullets, knives, chainsaws, electrocution, lethal injection were all options for Sergi given how he felt about the way his child was treated as a wild animal by Gilliand. The list of torture methods was growing by the moment and his gut instinct said that this was going to do some serious harm to those who had harmed his family and take it out on them slowly. They had forfeited any chance of a quick merciful death.

Now for the moment Sergi had to wait for the time being. The meeting would be happening in two days with Eyes Only and they would trade of information about what Gilliand was up and and thus would allow him to deal with the stress of the past few days he had been going thorugh. Meat hook, that would be handy to use as Sergi continued the list of pain he was going to inflict on Gilliand as he looked at his Daughter's ultrasound image of his unborn grandchild. He was going to be a Granddad and for nearly losing that chance he would become the Devil and burn this asshole for nearly taking away his little girl.

Katia was now driving up to Terminal City, How long had it been since she had been last here? She didn't want to think, but she looked at the recently retrofitted parking structure that was seen as the "official" entrance to this sector. On the Radio Reika had given her she had been listening to the various news networks such as the BBC, Ruters, and a few of the other independent broadcasts. for the Last week various Supersoldier projects had started to come forward. it seemed that the same group of individuals who wanted Manticore destroyed were hitting other projects. Between the international outcry of the creation of these projects, various human rights organizations were screaming too at the charge of creating and using children soldiers.

There was a strong debate put forth to the United Nations about banning such projects and issuing a immediate education program in giving these children a chance at a normal life. Katia realized that she was being used as the means to head off these individuals to ensure that other Transgenics like her were able to carry their children to term. Right now she had to check in and report to command as the truck drove through the old parking garage. She was expecting more security as she realized that there were various sensors spotted around the structure as they were driving through. They must have scanned the vehicle between the blocks between here and wherever they had the sensors placed.

As she watched the truck come around she noticed that several Transgenics were coming around to see who this person was. Katia felt that the civilian clothes she had been given didn't feel up to snuff and she was going to stand out in this crowd. Then the automated truck topped for several moments as the command computer signaled that she had reached her designation. That is when several scanners were run over the cab to ensure that she was who and what she was.

"C-822..." One of the X-Series that came by the truck as she got out as the automatic drive computer logged in it's location into the global positioning system and communicated that it had arrived and that Katia was meeting with the representatives there. Katia walked over to see that the male Transgenic who looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days.

"That is my designation. What is your's" Katia said looking around as several other Transgenics showed up with light weapons as a small team of heavy duty built Transgenics and several other individuals she could not place.

* * *

Katia's first impression of Terminal City was of disorder. and chaos, but as she got further in it looked to be more camouflage than anything else. That was until she realized that it looked actually better than she thought. Most of what Katia had seen of the outside world had been through field operations limited media and a few smuggled books she had gotten her hands on. But right here, right now seeing this place, it was a major difference from what she knew about the world. This felt kind of a mix between command and well the outside world.

"You okay?" A female voice said coming up beside her. Katia turned to see a woman with dark reddish brown hair standing next to her holding a heavily bundled baby in her arms.

"Yes..." Katia was able to stammer out. "Just that this is a whole lot different than command." the woman moved towards her.

"Yeah I know... first you think you are alone then, wham... you meet members of your old unit, and you start talking about all sorts of stuff." The woman offered her free hand out to Katia. "My name is Gem and this little bundle of joy here is my daughter Elfie." Katia blinked... looking at the woman. then the cold started to blow in on them.

"Listen I need to report to command and..." Gem looked at her sympathetically and grinned.

"Okay...I'll take you to command, anyway's I need to pick up a package from there." Gem Adjusted her daughter's hood as she clung her closer to her thick furry jacket. "So.. what series are you?" Gem said motioning for Katia to follow.

"Centurion..." Katia was worried that Gem would pull back or bolt.

"Centurion. C-Series..." Gem looked at her daughter and grinned. "Thanks for helping us during that entire mess with the Familiars. I think a lot of the Transgenics here are thankful that we had backup from our fellow brethren outside." Gem rubbed her nose softly against her daughter's forehead.

"So... you are X-series?" Katia said catching up and watching Gem's behavior with heavy interest.

"Yes... My daughter was a result of Madam X's breeding program." Gem said softly hugging her daughter close.

"Oh... So..." Katia was trying to work up the nerve. "When you gave birth... did... did it... hurt." Gem stopped in her tracks...

"Yes it hurt, no meds, stuck in a hostage situation, hostile forces attempting kill myself and my unborn child, add to that a firefight." Katia looked worried at that last part. "Good news is that I had people watching my back and a CO that said that my mission during that entire mess was to make sure that I brought my child into the world." She grinned. "Though during the melee I did get a punch in when an errant soldier landed next to me when he was thrown through a window." Katia just blinked.

"Hey... He was in Arm's length and I was following orders. Make sure my child came into this world. Though I did feel better venting my rage from the pain of my contractions right into his face."

"So..." Katia looked at Gem. "... just follow orders to ensure my baby comes into the world when I go into labor?"

"That is pretty much all a parent can ask for?" Gem said looking at her daughter. Then Katia got worried. She didn't want to have a gunfight break out with her child. She just wanted to give birth somewhere safe.

"If you would to do it again. Where would you want to give birth?" Gem looked at Katia and understood.

"Well I would have liked to give birth here in Terminal City, in the medical bay." Gem looked down. "I think my story of how I gave birth must be in the annals of FUBAR Ops."

"That is an understatement." Katia said. "So know where I can get a map of the area that I can use?"

"I think I have something better." Gem said with a grin. "I have some people I want you to meet." Katia looked worried.

"Why type of people: weapons specialists, demolitions, construction, medical ops?" Katia said planning for the worst.

"Field Reconnance." Gem said with a wide grin as she took the young Female Spartan under her wing.

"Oh."

* * *

"Kino..." Aspen called out as the young X6 started to pull on her jacket. Given that physical frame that Kino had, she made anything look sexy as long as it hugged her body. But put anything on that was loose fitting, well... She could use the men's room without a second thought. Aspen had been nagging her to go on this date. hell part of her knew that she had been tele-persuaded to go on this thing, but there was something in the back of her mind that all Aspen did was to loosen her up. But fixing her up with Quinn. That was something she didn't think was even possible for even someone of her skill and potential to pull off. But that was something that was now in the past as she realized that she looked in the mirror before her. She looked beautiful.

"Aspen..." Kino looked at her well dressed body now. "I know that you gave me a nudge... But why?"

"You are wondering why?" Aspen said as Kino nodded.

"Well, you have been looking at Quinn for the past weeks." Aspen said moving over to the bed and sitting down.

"Heck everyone knows, even a novice the way that you have been looking at Quinn. You like him, and subsequently he likes you." Kino looked at Aspen and understood.

"So you decided to play matchmaker for me." Kino let her shoulders sag down as she looked down at the floor.

"Yeah..." Aspen got up and walked over to Kino. "... and you look nice giving that right now having a relationship with someone is what your life needs." Aspen grinned. "The Spirits guided me to help you out. And as a member of the Gia, I respect the decisions of the spirits."

"So what do the Spirits tell you about me?" Kino wondered if some higher power had guided Aspen in making her decision to play matchmaker.

"You are young, and that you need to talk shop with someone to discover what the rest of the world is like." Aspen waited before she continued. "In other words the spirits want you not to so much as date, but learn that you have to be you. That is all, and your spirit guide has the hots for Quinn's Spirit guide, so given that she is stuck with you." Aspen Stopped and looked off to the side of Kino before she continued talking but it wasn't towards Kino. "Hey... My Spirit guide is not Anal... And NO... My taste in Men is not too specific..." Aspen looked off to her side. "Yes I have been laid... Shit you were there when I." Aspen took offense to something said by Aspen's own Spirit guide. "No I wasn't faking..." Kino just stood there and blinked at this conversation, it was like watching someone have a conversation on a cellphone and she was only getting Aspen side of the conversation. "Now this is faking..." Kino realized that she had to step in before Aspen started her impersonation of an Orgasm.

"Well all of you stop it..." Kino called out to all the individuals in the room both physical and astral. "Shit... This is my date... Now if I am going to go... there is going to be some ground rules considering that I am being the preferable wing chick here for my Spirit..." Kino looked over towards Aspen. "You can see them, could you at least tell me where to look so I can look mine in the eyes."

"Your's is at 11:57 o'clock about ten degrees vertical." Aspen said turning to her right hearing some remark from her own spirit.

"Okay... let's get this straight..." Kino said gritting her teeth. "I am going to see Quinn, now you can go out and do what Spirits do with each other, but at least understand that if something goes wrong with Quinn. I am leaving. I am not being someone's lackey. I am myself and I will determine if I like Quinn or not." There was a long pause as Kino waited for the reply.

"Kino, your spirit agrees with you, and she apologizes for the discomfort she has been giving you." Aspen said as Kino relaxed.

"Okay..." Kino said looking around the room feeling the pressure lifted from her body. "So Aspen, these Spirits... What do they do for fun?" Aspen grinned.

"Well, let's put it this way." Aspen blushed... "People watching is putting mildly. I keep getting comments about how funny my face looks when I have sex." Kino looked away from Aspen in horror. "But mostly they like going on nature watches. Hey... That is why your's and Quinn's spirits want to hook up. They were looking at sea life in a tide pool when the two of you were surfing."

"You mean that they like to..." Kino wondered where this was going.

"Kino... They are beachcombers." Aspen said flatly.

"So get near the beach and..."

"Pretty much that's it. You and Quinn can look at the stars while they... do what they want to do." Aspen said crossing her arms.

"Okay... after me and Quinn do what he has planned tonight, hit the beach for Spirit hook up." Kino agreed. "I good with that. There is a full moon tonight." Kino grinned as Kino felt lighter on her feet as she looked at how her polished black boots glowed in the bedroom's overhead light.

* * *

Shandala looked around as she walked into her and Remi's apartment. Something was up as she got the feeling that her boyfriend was getting worried. Shandala had changed out of her work clothes and into a hand wrapped tube top and a long pareo cotton skirt, given the polynesian culture she had grown up in this going native allowed her to feel safe. Shandala wanted to calm him down so she used her powers to touch his mind.

"Shandala..." Remi pulled away from her. "please... don't not now." Shandala moved her hand away.

"Remi..." Shandala looked at her bare feet. "I was just..."

"Shandala... I know that you were created in some lab, raised in an island culture and was hunted by some cult because of your powers, but right now I am trying to help you make contact with the Transgenic community in Terminal City." Remi shook his hands.

"I know..." Shandala said as she ran her fingers through her long hair. "Ever Since I was a child, a cult has been after me. I know that I was created by someone to be some type of super weapon, but I have chosen thanks to Zach to become a leader. Now all I want to do is talk with his Sister Max." Remi moved over and cupped Shandala's face in his hand. "He said he was going to burn down that lab that created him and free the other like him to live in the world..."

"Yeah..." Remi stroked her cheek with his thumb. "... He saved your life from those guys." Shandala took Remi's hand in her own and rubbed her face feeling the warmth work into her cheek.

"He did, and the others from the other projects he introduced me too." Shandala said feeling safe. This moment she realized that she didn't need to comfort Remi, in that he was comforting him.

"Yeah... Karr, Jade, Jessi, and Kyle..." Shandala said feeling warm.

"Me..." Shandala grinned as she nodded. "You know, I noticed that you aren't wearing any underwear." Shandala blushed.

"You noticed..." Remi grinned. "Little old Island girl me."

"Hey... I don't mind. I mean you want to repay a life debt to the person who saved your life. And given that the number of inquiries I have made in searching out the Eyes Only Informant Net for you." Remi leaned in and kissed Shandala. "I think meeting this Max Girl will be the least they can do." Shandala grinned.

"Yeah..." Shandala moved her hand down to her pareo but Remi stopped her. "You don't have to offer your body like that." Shandala looked shocked.

"What..." Remi understood.

"Shandala..." Remi spoke softly. "I love you... You don't have to offer yourself up like this," Shandala looked embarrassed. "Powers or not. I care about you. You use your powers to help people all day in dealing with pain. Now let me take some of that from you in helping you heal and meet with Zach's baby sister." Shandala nodded.

"Okay..." Shandala moved her hands away from her pareo after she pulled it tighter around her waist and Remi guided her to the bank of networked computers before him that was running off of a stored heat solar generator. Tapping a bluetooth remote earpiece he had in his ear Remi Spoke.

"A.C. run facial patter match results for subject Max 5452." The monitors pulled up on several screens that ranged from small flat panels to a large wide screen tv each had the face of a hispanic american chino girl on them, some with blond hair, while others had dark hair.

"There are Eighty-five matches from images captured over the past one hundred twenty-six hours." A.C.'s computer extrapolated voice spoke in pronounced British Queen's English. "Out of that data set, there are five matches of specific individuals." A.C. shifted the images into categories. Each of the thousands of images were morphed into rotating facial forms of composite faces. These Five faces were shown on the large wide screen tv. Below each were times and locations of where they had been repeatedly seen coming out of. Two of the girls with the same facial structure were shown in one image together. "Out of the five matches, distinguishing marks on the back of the neck were used for identification purposes." Images of barcode tattoos were merged together into coherent composite collages under each image.

"Take a look at the addresses, Shandala." Remi slowly guided Shandala into the chair. Shandala blinked a few times at what she was looking at. Some of these girls were working out of the same bike messaging place that the Transgenic Hostage Crisis had occurred months earlier at.

"One of these girls could be..." Shandala felt her heart skip a few beats as she felt the electricity tingle under her finger as she touched the tv with her fingers as she traced each face with her hand.

"Yes, Shandala... one of these girls could be Zach's sister Max." Shandala got out the chair and hugged Remi who was standing by a bank of smaller monitors. In an attempt to get her lips tighter on Remi's face, Shandala stood up on her toes. When she did this the loose material of the pareo skirt Shandala wore got caught under her toes and the knot that was holding the skirt on her body broke free and fell to the ground. Now this wouldn't have mattered to either Shandala or Remi but this was when Jessi came into the loft caring an old portable blu-ray video player and some movie disks.

"You know what day it is, " Jessi said as her brown long brown hair in ponytails shifted as she placed the player on the floor to drag in the large bucket of chicken fried pork chops by her foot through the door. That was when she saw Shandala's naked lower half and the island girl kissing Remi, Jessi realized that she had walked in on something intimate and she was way... way too early for the Runaway's movie night.

"Oh Shit..." Jessi blinked a few times as she stood up. "You two have decided to go and consummate your relationship." Remi waved at Jessi as he continued to kiss Shandala.

"Listen, I'll leave the player and the movies and the..." Jessi cleared her throat. "...food here the table and..." Jessi backed out of the door. "I'll hang a sock on the door so... um... you two can..." Jessi closed the door and locked it leaving the rest of the sentence to be said to herself.

"Did Jessi just come in?" Shandala pulled away. Remi nodded. Then Shandala felt some of Seattle's cold winter air move across her naked buttocks. "Crap..." Shandala looked down.

"Talk about getting caught with your pants down." Remi said with an embarrassed blush.

"Yeah..." Shandala slapped her hand across her forehead as she gritted her teeth. "Tonight is Movie night with Jessi and the others."

"Yeap..."

"I should have kept my underwear on..." Remi chuckled at this response as Shandala looked down at her exposed lower half.

"Yes and No... I think Jessi thinks we are right now doing our consummating and has called the other Runaways together to spread the news that tonight's movie night is off."

"Yeah, well atleast we have something to eat?" Shandala looked over at the table remembering what her adopted mother said about pareo's becoming loose as the gods granting a blessing to those wearing them.

"Well first, you underwear. Me phone, and hopefully we can salvage tonight's movie night with the other's." Shandala puffed some air out realizing how nuts things could get from one moment to the next.

"Well this is better than the time Zack went on a five state cow tipping marathon."

"Yeah, you and Jessi had to flash that local town cop as a distraction so that we could get him into the van and peel out of there before the farmer came out with a shotgun."

"Those where the days." Shandala grinned as she looked down at the floor. "I wonder what Max is like. Probably a whole lot like her brother, worrying about siblings and a party animal when she needs to unwind."

* * *

Max was back in her quarters in Terminal City as she tossed her jacket and running shoes off and wrapped herself up into her blue bathrobe while keeping her sports bra and winter leggings she had on from earlier on just to stay warm. She could still remember the time when it caught fire when Kendra was living with her. The entire garment had the ends of the nylon permanently singed from the fire but it still after giving it a shave it felt soft. Sleeping in the sleeping bag she had brought with her from her place, she started to dream. She was in the white room where she dreamed of her and Logan making love for the first time. Then the Blood and... Why was she back here. She was sitting on the bed looking around crouched for attack.

_Child..._

Max looked around this was something that was unnerving her.

_Child..._

Max heard it again, getting off the bed Max readied herself for a fight, then there was that smell.

_Child... come..._

Max was getting worried.

"Okay... whoever you are... I hear you..." Max called out to the floating voice.

_Child... _

Max as getting irritated, as she move through her dream Harlequin sanctuary.

"You say Child again, I sware I will..."

_Max..._

"Okay a change but I am not going anywhere unless you show yourself." Max said putting her foot down. That was when the figure revealed herself.

_Is this better? _The figure said coming out from behind the curtains. Max took a step back to see a dark haired woman wearing an Ancient Egyptian dress and wearing a golden Bast Mask.

"Okay now you have my attention." Max looked at the figure. "So what is with the Halloween Mask?" Max watched the figure walk over to her.

_So long since I have seen a child who worshiped Bast in a long time._ The figure's voice sounded said.

"Listen I don't worship her, I respect her. Since I am part cat..." Max was cut of by the figure.

_Child... Max..._ the figure changed title quickly. _I apologize for my tone earlier._ The woman touched Max's face in an almost motherly manner. Max got a little scared at this and pulled away. _You must have had a hard life... I know that I must earn your trust, but there are things you need to know. Things I must tell you._

"What things do you need to tell me?" Max's emotions turned from aggression and fear to concern.

_They are coming... those who follow the path of the Sand Man._ The Bast woman showed worry. _and those who follow the child forged of the old gods and the new. _Max moved back and took a deep breath.

"Sandeman..." Max had to force the words out. "You mean those who follow Sandeman are coming?" Max reached out and grabbed the woman by the arms and started to shake her.

_Child... _The look of the woman's eyes through the mask told Max that there was something more to this than Max was expecting. _You are at the crossroads of the life you know and the life that you will have to live. _Then the woman got sad as she started to cry. _I wish that I could have talked with you sooner, but the fates were against me. _The woman leaned in and hugged Max and sobbed. _You are so much like the child I lost when the last battle between the forces of change occurred._ The the woman pulled away from Max as she licked her thumb and rubbed a portion of Max's cheek.

"Lost a child..." Max was now starting to understand why the woman was behaving this way towards her. "... did the Familiars kill your child?" the woman nodded in compliance. "I'm Sorry..." Max understood why this woman, though a dream one was behaving the way she was. Max was a child who missed her mother that she never knew fully of and this woman was a mother who missed her child... whom she had lost... It kinda of made sense in her mind.

_She looked so much like you... _The woman looked Max up and down. _But your taste in garments is something to be desired._ The woman grinned at this.

"Well these are by bed clothes..." Max looked the woman up and down. "I guess that you are wearing some sort of Priestly garments." Max looked at the woman's black hair.

_Yes, I am a Priestess of Bast, child... how did you know?_ The woman said taking Max's hand.

"A rough guess." Max shrugged her shoulders.

_I know that I asked the gods to aid me in seeking answers, but them taking me to you is beyond my imagination of giving me hope. _The woman guided Max through the veils that surrounded her dream bedroom and took her into a section where there were stone walls. _I have to show you something._ The woman said as she guiding Max through the stone structure until they got to a room. There Max saw something that made her stop cold. It was a Statue of herself, well herself done in the Egyptian style holding a Bast mask and pretty much nothing else.

"She looks like me." Max moved over to the statue and was about to touch it but pulled her hand back before she touched the plaster and stone surface.

_My daughter posed for the statue's carving. This is the only image I have left of my Daughter._ The woman sobbed. Max moved back over to the woman to comfort her. _Child I need you to look at the sculpture, do you see the runes._ Max stopped cold as she turned around to see the markings on the statue.

"Wait, those look like the runes on my body." Max pulled back a sleeve to show the woman the same runes she had on her arm. "See..." The woman moved over to look at Max's arm.

_Child... _The woman hugged Max hard, _You are the one we have been waiting for, the one who will bring about the change. Please save my child, please save the world from what evil is coming. _Max looked at the woman and touched her face.

"Did Sandeman give this to me, this memory to know what had happened in the past?" The woman blinked concerned at her.

_Child, I wasn't sent by Sand..man... I have used the most ancient of magics like the ones discovered by the Runaways... to contact you. You are in the future, I am in the past. _

"This is what happened in the past when the Familiars tried to..." the woman got anxious. "So for me to save the world, I need to learn from the past to save my future and to save the past you need knowledge of the future to find your daughter." The woman nodded in understanding. "For me to trust you I need to see your face." Max watched the woman remove her mask and saw that the woman looked somewhat like herself but with a few years added to her.

_I will aid you in whatever ways I can, Max of the Chimeras._ With that Max nodded as the the doorway started to glow white.

* * *

Bodie looked at the scene outside of Terminal City, given the number of Albino Transgenics walking around as she used the zoom on the digital camera she hand in her hand. She had left Jeanne along the side of some fenced off area of Terminal City and would swing by to pick her after her and Olan had gotten in and made their introductions to the Transgenic community to let them in as fellow Supersoldiers. Events would proceed fairly quickly after that when they learned where Four-Five-Two was at and broke the ice by befriending her and giving the Transgenic leader their offer to let the Freeborns be and hopefully be able to perform a coup over the Coming Faction to allow the Familiar community to exist under a new idology for the next few centuries. Fate had other ideas of how this meeting would take place and the one it had chose would not be Bodie or Olan for the first contact.

* * *

Jeanne was standing off to the side of the twenty-block fenced off section of Terminal City, and she was freezing her ass off. Given that Bodie and Olan would make contact with the Transgenics... Shit, she didn't have anything to contribute to the group. All she was, was... Hell she was tag-a-long girl... Now powers, other that some basic stuff that would allow her to pass herself off as a Transgenic... But other than that... Hell she was cannon fodder, or food... Did the beast Transgenics like eating humans for food? She pushed that thought out of her mind as she kicked the metal fence behind her with the heel of her tennis shoe.

She had been left out her to what... be a distraction... or worse... a political pawn... Why would anyone in their right mind choose her? Jeanne elbowed the metal fence, then she hit it again... She was worthless... Hell the Transgenics would probably think she was some human trying to get in and... the image from the late night movie Hotel Hell came up again in her mind. Jeanne pushed that image out of her mind of being turned into roasted Familiar-ka-bob... Jeanne elbowed the fence several more times in rapid succession trying to beat the images back out of her mind as she kicked the fence with her heel for good measure to work out her fears.

Maybe the Transgenics would think of her as breeding stock and use her as a surrogate... That was when images of the opening scene of The Hills have Eyes 2. Pregnant girl being killed after she gave birth to a health child... Instead of a mutant one... Jeanne hit the back of her head against the fence several times... She was scared... she was so screwed that putting a bullet into her brain right here and right now might be the best option she had. Jeanne nervously took the gun that Bodie had given her out of her thick jacket. The November cold weather cut into her body as her hand shook. The safety was still on. Hell this thing had a laser spotting sight on it. Pulling at her hair she snaked a good part of it away from her neck as she felt the fear in her mind and body increase at an exponential rate... Then the metal of the fence behind her slipped and scrapped as a segment of metal rolled off to the side. Jeanne cursed out loud. "Oh come on... why didn't I go with Bodie and the other's..." That was when several pairs of arms came out of the fence behind her, one hand cupping over her mouth while another grabbed the gun that was in her hand... Several other arms went around her mid section and her lower legs as she was picked up and was pulled through the hole in the fence.

Jeanne screamed through the hand... as she saw the fence she was moment's earlier standing in-front of rotate back into place as the weight revealed that she had been standing by a door.. A concealed door. Kicking and Struggling like crazy, she used every ounce of her strength to wiggle like crazy as she felt a thumb press against the joint between the index and her middle finger of the back of her hand and felt it twist as the gun she was holding was released. As much strength Jeanne had in her hand, the gun became subject to gravity and fell to the ground as she was moved father way from where it had fallen. Then Jeanne felt the other arms let go of her as she was pulled up against a chest.

"Stop struggling... I will let you go when you stop moving around." The voice said from behind her... Jeanne seeing one of her arms was free she tried to bat at whoever was holding her. Then she felt a pair of fingers tap her collarbone and she passed out.

* * *

Jeanne felt warm... bed warm... it felt good. Reaching out she felt a blanket over her body. It smelled good... and beneath her she felt like she was sitting on a couch, a leather couch. "Hey there sleepy head..." a woman's voice said by her. Jeanne opened her eyes to see a dark skinned woman with some sort of tribal markings running down the sides of her face. The soft brown eyes had a little green inside of them, but it was all the green the woman was wearing around her body in the form of almost robes or a coat. Covering the woman's head a green stripped shawl that Jeanne thought was beautiful. The woman looked kind of like a Nubian 1920's nuvo style woman that she had seen on a coffee shop poster. "I'm glad that you are awake." The woman knelt down in an wadding style. "Sorry. I'm kinda of steering for two." The woman sat down on the couch.

"Two??" Jeanne looked down at the woman.

"Yeah... I'm pregnant with my first child." The woman said as she reached out to check Jeanne's collar as Jeanne looked around where she was at. It looked like a control room. A bank of monitors, Projector display systems, computers, and radios being played through headsets, and most prevalently what could be heard was a set of three police scanners.

"OH, NO... NO NO... I am not going to be used as breeding stock for the Transgenic Cause..." Jeanne started to get scared as she looked around the command center.

"Wait..." the woman reached out and took her hand before Jeanne could get her legs out from underneath the blanket. "... we don't have a breeding program here..." the woman pulled at Jeanne to calm her down...

"What..." Jeanne wanted out of here.

"Manticore had a breeding program... most of those who had children from that mess already have given birth..." the woman said looking at Jeanne. "So, if you want to have a child, then you can... on your terms... with a partner of your choice. We won't force you to have a baby if you don't want to." The woman said calmly to her.

"You mean, I won't be used as breeding stock to make more Transgenics for our people?" Jeanne added that little part in hopes that she would be treated as a new arrival.

"Okay, how badly did you fake being sick?" The woman said leaning back. "Because, I had some food poisoning to ensure that I wouldn't be used for breeding purposes."

"But you are pregnant?" Jeanne looked down at the rounded belly of the woman she had been talking to.

"Yes, but I chose who I was going to have my child with..." The woman grinned. "Though when I was in Heat this past time, I really got frisky and may have marked the couch during the conception."

"Heat..." Jeanne looked pale.

"Please tell me that you haven't had your first heat cycle yet... or had one and didn't know what it was." The woman looked at her shocked...

"Please, I need to be..." Jeanne looked around. "This is command..." Jeanne removed the blanket from her and got up.

"Yes..." Jeanne digested the information around her. "This is command..." the woman got up and moved over to Jeanne to help her off the couch. "... We spotted you outside and ran a thermal scan on you. Jim can you rewind the footage to where we found our friend here." The projector screen made up of a hanging bed sheet came to life as video showed Jeanne standing by the fence with Bodie and Olan... Crap they had been recorded by the video. As the video played, Jeanne stood there for several minutes pacing around, then she kicked, looked depressed, elbowed the fence several times, then she saw a panel open up behind her about neck level about the time she had pulled her hair forward. That was when they must have seen her barcode. Then she saw that she had taken out the gun... Well the rest was history as she saw the panels of the fence swing out and slide up. What caught her by surprise we the number of people rushing towards the gate to grab her before she was seen.

"Oh... My..." Jeanne stammered out to the number of arms that were around her as she was pulled in.

"Yeah... usually we leave people alone but when your temp on the thermal scanner showed up as..." Jeanne looked at the woman by her.

"Thermal Scanner, as in you have my body temp..."

"Why, Yes... I mean when you showed up as..."

"You have a thermal scanner..." Jeanne was worried.

"Yes..." the woman said as she motioned the person by the video system to show the footage. "See..." Jeanne blinked a few times as she watched the video on the bed sheet switch from a color image of her by the fence to being a rainbow colored Psychedelic-esq image of Jeanne's body.

"Wait..." Jeanne looked and saw that she looked a little hotter than usual...

"Well, anyone with above a hundred body temp sets the system off and we bring them in." Jeanne tensed up.

"See Old Ames White figured out that using Thermal Cameras was a fast and cheap way to ferret us out from a crowd of Ordinary Humans. But since the Familiars and Ordinaries have about an Average Body Temp, it is easy to find them and get them out of the area..." the woman said as Jeanne looked at her arms... She remembered something her mother had said. She was a little hot around the collar, but seeing this now... By the Ancestors...

"Wait... you mean you took Ames White's Transgenic detector and are using it to..." Jeanne's heart rate went through the roof... "Shit..." I have to...

"Hey we have two individuals coming in through the parking garage..." Jim said from his command booth.

"What's their body temp?" The woman said up to the figure above her.

"Well they are pushing a Hundred... A little cold in a few areas... Crap..." Jim said as he hit the connection. The display shifted to the sheet in-front of Jeanne... Her heart was in her throat as she looked at the screen... "The thermal system is acting up."

"Can you switch it to regular view?" Jeanne prayed that this wasn't who she thought it was...

"Yeah..." Jim called out as the display changed to full view regular color. Jeanne closed her eyes and gritted her teeth and moaned... the Coffee woman turned to Jeanne when she heard this.

"You know them?" She said touching Jeanne's shoulder.

"Yeah..." Jeanne said as she looked away from the two figures on the screen as her shoulders sagged down... "They are part of the group I am with... They left me on the side until they thought it was safe to bring me in." The Coffee woman grinned.

"Well, we better make sure that they don't get shot..." Jeanne felt herself being lead out of the command center by the woman.

* * *

Bodie was moving through the parking garage. Security in this place was a joke... There had been little or no security in this section. Getting Jeanne in here after they made contact would be easy. Hell they could torch this place and no one would be the wiser. Then Olan started to tap her on the shoulder.

"Bodie... I don't think this section was set up for ease of access." Olan looked around as she started to pull more to the sides of the parking area...

"What do you mean?" Bodie said as she started to look around more. The parking area was sparsely littered with wreaked cars, fire barrels, wooden planks, hanging tarps...

"I mean I think we are..." That was when Bodie reacted to a spear being swung at her head.

"Shit..." Bodie screamed as she barely missed the blade by a heartbeat as Olan pulled her backwards.

"Walking into an ambush..." Olan went for her gun and fired a few shots off into the general area where the blade had come from.

"No Shit Sherlock..." Bodie said pulling her own weapon out...

"So, still thinking that walking into this place would be easy..." Olan commented as she started to see where their attacker was at or would be coming from next.

"Hell, all the recon we pulled off stated that this would be the quickest way into the facility." Bodie said pushing her back against Olan's.

"Well I think the Transgenics really screwed with the records we were able to get their hands on." Olan said covering Bodie's back quite literally.

"If we get through this... I am going to beat senseless the person who came up with this crazy idea of coming through the parking garage." Bodie said gritting her teeth.

"Well it was you..." Olan said as she tried to control her breathing.

"Don't remind me... I mean beat senseless the one who actually changed the intel information." Bodie said as she and Olan moved in a rotating spiral pattern as they moved their way through the parking garage...

"I agree with you there." Olan said as she walked in step with Bodie. Then there was a giggle... a girl...

"Thinking twice about your option of coming this way you two." The voice chimed from everywhere around them.

"Well talk some more... This way I can find you and bash your brains in." Bodie yelled at the nothingness around her.

"Awww... That isn't nice..." The voice said again, this time it was coming from a burned out car.

"Keep it up I know where you are at!" Bodie said as she and Olan sweeped around the car to cover both sides of it. "Bodie moved in to cover each one of the windows and stopped cold to see a high-end digital noise canceling speaker."

"I don't think you found me." The voice chimed in from the speaker.

"You little shit..." Bodie said as she reached down to grab the speaker, but stopped. there was a fishing line thread tied to it. "Booby Trap..." Bodie yelled as she and Olan started to run away from the car as the sound of an explosion and bright flash occurred behind them.

Bodie pulled herself up off of the concrete to see that the car was still there but... as she looked around...

"Olan..." Bodie called out softly as she worked through the pain in her chest before she started to talk again. "OLAN..." Bodie yelled out and bowed over in pain... as she gritted her teeth. Bodie started to check the area where Bodie had been. There was no smoke, no flame... It had been the speaker... and possibly a flash strobe... Bodie started to move around working through the pain she felt in her arms and chest... Whose ever fun house this was, Bodie wasn't liking it...

"Olan..." Bodie called out again...

"Missing your friend..." the voice giggled. "She is safe... I kinda of like her hair..." Bodie gritted her teeth... "She smells good..."

"I am not playing your game you... you ... twerp... I was third in command of my unit..." Bodie vented...

"I was the second in command and the first at Escape and Evade in mine..." Bodie was furious and stared to fire off shots wherever she heard the voice. "Awww. you miss your friend..."

"Olan... If you are conscious... Moan... grunt... bite her where it hurts..." Bodie called out as she surveyed the area... Olan wouldn't have been dragged off that far... Explosion... meant distraction... That would mean... A person would instinctually put their head down to... Come from behind and head... Bodie broke off into a flat out run. Giving out a roar like war cry... Bodie sprinted through the garage she was covering anything that had a surface. Over Cars, garbage, wood, cans, Timber, cloth... that was when Bodie felt something yanked out from underneath her. Sprawling on the ground for the second time, Bodie's gun slipped from her reach and scattered away.

On her chest Bodie felt a foot come down on the middle of her back as she felt a hand sweep away her hair. A pair of sharp pointed claw like nails dug into her tattoo. That was when she felt the knee go into her side as the figure knelt down... Then, she was being sniffed... Fear worked into her body as she tried to push up.

"I know this scent..." A male voice said... It had an innocence to it that was almost child like...

"Get the hell off of me." Bodie struggled as she reached over to grab at the leg that was leaning into her ever increasing painful chest. When the foot in her back came off and she was to roll around to see who had knocked her down. What she saw was a mixture of part reality and part flashback. Looking up into the face of the person who had checked her barcode out she swore that... images from a foggy past bled into the present. A young boy with a dog-like face and dark hair sniffing her hair when she had it long... "Isaac..." The Dog man pulled back some.

"Boudicca??" He said blinking a few times at her. This was a memory... Sandeman's experiment... She knew him... or at least knew the child version of him...

"Isaac..." Bodie said the word again... hoping that another memory could come back... "... is that you?"

"No... Joshua... Isaac's brother... I remember you..." Joshua offered a hand to help her up. Then another set of memories flooded back into her mind...

_Boudicca... it is time to go... _Sandeman's voice said as she was led out of the room.

_Boudicca... please stay..._ Isaac called out as Bodie was led away...

_Isaac... she is above people..._ Another boy like him... Older...

_Why Joshua... I like her... she was nice to me... she gave me sweets... She smelled nice.._

_Isaac..._ The images flashed as she watched Joshua do a big brotherly hugs to the Dark Haired dog boy...

"Joshua..." Bodie licked her lips to make the words flow out of her mouth better. "I.. I... I'm sorry about leaving Isaac..." Joshua pulled Bodie to her feet. "Was he okay??"

"Boudicca..." There was sadness in Joshua's voice... "Isaac is dead..." Bodie felt her head spin around as Joshua moved in to hold her up and lead her over to someplace to sit down.

"Did he die in the fire?" Bodie said as she felt her world swirl around her. The past, the present... they were all blurring into one image... Was this the reason she had been chosen for this mission. Her memories for being one of Sandeman's experiments... This Transgenic knew her... as a child... thought that she was... one of Sandeman's creations...

"Boudicca... you okay?" The dog man said reaching out to her with concern... The coldness of the Seattle winter bit into her skin... all she could do was nod.

"Yeah..." Bodie looked around to see others coming out to see what was up... Most of them were children... X-Series... along with a few beast types... But it the little girl who was being firmly held by the shoulder by a rather pissed off X-Series woman wearing two red triangles of war paint on her face which had got her attention.

"Apologize to her for the unwarranted attack on her..." The woman said as she gripped tighter onto the girl's collarbone and marched her forward to Bodie. Bodie was a bit in shock as Olan was being carried by one of the, the only image she could give what was caring her was a walking shark wearing what could be best seen as reverse scuba gear. The amount of packing tape around her limbs made her look like she about to be mailed to Abu Dhabi, India.

"Olan..." Bodie was shaken back to the present as she rushed to Olan's side. The young Mindwalker had been layered. Pulling out a knife she cut through as much of the tape as she could to make Olan mobile again. But there was a large wrapped up section of tape covering Olan's mouth. All Olan could do was muffle through it. "What did you do to her?" Bodie turned to the girl in an outrage...

"Captured her, and restrained her for future interrogation..." The girl said as the girl winced in pain from the war paint woman.

"Yeah, we can see that." The woman said shooting her a look of strong disapproval. "Now... You will be punished by doing cleaning chores." Bodie was a bit perplexed at this simple punishment being dished out to this child for doing what she had done.

"Well do your worse..." The child said in spite... The woman who was holding her gave a sly grin.

"Latrine duty... Four weeks." The child tried to struggle from her grip but was unable to break free. The image of this child cleaning out gallons of facial material made Bodie's stomach turn. But sounded about right. She shuddered at the image of the amount of Poop that this kid would have to deal with. But it felt like an appropriate punishment for what had been done.

"You can't..." The girl called out.

"Well let's see if the senior staff would like to hear about the other things you have been doing." The girl's shoulders went down in defeat. "Good..." The woman who was holding the girl.

"Thanks..." Bodie said looking at the crowd of Transgenics surrounding them.

"My Name is San..." The woman said increasing her grip on the little troublemaker that had started this mess Bodie had found herself in.

"Boudicca... but everyone calls me Bodie..." Bodie looked over to Olan. "My friend in the Duct Tape is Olan..."

"Bodie... Olan..." A voice called out from a distance and sprinting into view was Jeanne.

"Jeanne..." Bodie stammered out. "How did you get in here? When did you get in here?" The realization hit her.

"Um. Long enough to see Olan Duct Taped right after the explosion." Jeanne said as she moved slowly through the crowd. "Well that and finding the real front door." Jeanne blushed at this.

"The front door!!" Came from Bodie' and Olan's mouth, well Bodie's mouth and Olan's gag.

"Yeah... It was at the same place that you dropped me off at." The two girls just blinked.

"You have got to be shitting me about this. My chest feels like a punching bag and Olan looks like a package a Five Year-old tried to wrap." Bodie ran out of words.

"So... Um... does anyone have access to some glue solvent to help remove the tape from Olan's mouth." Jeanne said as Joshua moved over to Bodie and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry... everyone has days like this. Yours just happens to be today." Bodie's shoulders sagged down in defeat.

"Don't remind me..." Bodie groaned out as she moved through the crowd and onto getting settled in.

* * *

To be continued...

Next Chapter 11: Artificial Intelligence and Actual Intelligence

Be kind and please leave a review for me, I would sure welcome the responses.

Hearns


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